VA Disability Calculator

The VA doesn't simply add your ratings. Instead, they use "VA-Math" and each disability is applied to your remaining "healthy" percentage. The VA considers you to start at 100% healthy, and each disability takes away a percentage of what's left, not a percentage of the original 100%. Enter your ratings below to see your actual combined rating.

Calculate Your Combined Rating

About the Bilateral checkbox: Per 38 CFR § 4.26, the 10% bilateral factor applies only to paired disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles (e.g., left + right knee, both shoulders). Do not check it for unrelated conditions that just happen to be on opposite sides (e.g., left knee + right wrist).

Dependents (affects pay at 30%+)

Children under 18
Children 18+ in school
Dependent parents
VA Letter Interpreter
Understand your VA decision letter in plain English →

How VA Math Works

Step-by-Step Example

Say you have three ratings: 50%, 30%, and 20%.

  1. Start at 100% healthy.
  2. Apply the highest rating first (50%): 100% × 50% = 50% disabled. You have 50% "healthy" remaining.
  3. Apply the next highest (30%): 50% remaining × 30% = 15% additional disability. Total: 65% disabled, 35% remaining.
  4. Apply the next (20%): 35% remaining × 20% = 7% additional disability. Total: 72% disabled.
  5. Round to nearest 10%: 72% rounds to 70%. That's your combined rating.

If you just added them (50 + 30 + 20 = 100%), you'd expect 100%. But VA Math gives you 70%. This is why veterans say "VA Math". It always results in a lower number than simple addition.

The rounding rule: The VA rounds to the nearest 10%. Combined values ending in 5 or above round up, below 5 round down. So 65% rounds to 70%, but 64% rounds to 60%. That one percentage point can mean hundreds of dollars per month.
Verified against VA's official calculator. Our combined-rating math produces the same result as VA's own implementation (published in the vets-website repo) across every rating combination we tested, and matches the worked examples printed in 38 CFR § 4.25 and § 4.26 themselves. We also apply the bilateral factor from 38 CFR § 4.26, which VA's simple calculator leaves out, including the 2023 rule at § 4.26(d): when leaving a disability out of the bilateral group would give you a higher combined rating, the calculator automatically uses the more favorable result, the same way the VA is required to.
One-page guide: VA Combined-Rating Math In One Page Follow the whole-person calculation from highest rating to final rounding. Opens the full-size chart, free to save or print.

The Bilateral Factor

If you have disabilities affecting both sides of the body (e.g., both knees, both shoulders), the VA adds a 10% bonus to the combined value of those bilateral disabilities before combining them with your other ratings.

Example: Left knee 20% + Right knee 10% = 28% combined. The bilateral factor adds 10% of 28% = 2.8%, summing to 30.8%, which the Combined Ratings Table rounds to 31% before combining with other disabilities.

This is one of the few places where VA Math actually works slightly in your favor.

One-page guide: The VA Bilateral Factor In One Page See which paired-extremity disabilities qualify and how the added value enters VA math. Opens the full-size chart, free to save or print.

2026 Monthly Compensation Rates

Rates effective December 1, 2025 (2.8% COLA increase). Veteran alone, no dependents. Rates increase with dependents.

Combined RatingMonthly Rate (Veteran Alone)
10%$180.42
20%$356.66
30%$552.47
40%$795.84
50%$1,132.90
60%$1,435.02
70%$1,808.45
80%$2,102.15
90%$2,362.30
100%$3,938.58

Source: VA.gov. 30%+ ratings include additional amounts for dependents not shown here.

Tips

  • Always apply for increases near a rounding break. If your exact combined is 72%, you're rated at 70%. Getting even a small increase to push to 75% would round you to 80%, a significant pay jump.
  • Secondary conditions matter. Even a 10% secondary condition on top of existing ratings can push you over a rounding threshold.
  • Check for bilateral factor. If you have matching left/right conditions, make sure the VA applied the bilateral factor correctly.
  • Remember: 100% is achievable. While VA Math makes it hard, enough combined conditions can get you there. 90% + 70% = 97%, which rounds to 100%.

Prefer a Spreadsheet?

Download the "Hutsky Star" VA Combined Rating Calculator spreadsheet, a trusted tool from the veteran community that includes the full CFR 38 § 4.25 table, bilateral factor support, and space to enter your own ratings.

Download Spreadsheet (.xls)

Claim Quest: Quick Check

Five questions based only on this guide.

This checks what you understood from this guide. It is not a claim-readiness score, a prediction, an official test, or a record on your account.

Common Questions

How does VA math work?
VA uses the 'whole person' method, not simple addition. Each rating is applied to the remaining non-disabled portion of the veteran. A 50% rating leaves 50% efficiency; a second 30% rating takes 30% of that remaining 50%, adding 15% for a combined 65% (rounded to 65%). The published table is at 38 CFR 4.25. Final values are rounded to the nearest 10%.
What is the VA bilateral factor?
Under 38 CFR 4.26, when a veteran has ratable disabilities affecting both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, VA adds a 10% bonus to the combined value of those bilateral disabilities before combining with the rest. Example: left knee 20% + right knee 10% combines to 28%; bilateral factor adds 2.8% (10% of 28%), summing to 30.8% which the Combined Ratings Table rounds to 31% before further combination.
Why doesn't VA disability rating use simple addition?
Simple addition would let two 60% ratings combine to 120%, which is impossible (max is 100%). The whole-person method ensures the combined rating reflects how much overall function remains, capped at 100%. A veteran can be paid above 100% only through Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for specific qualifying conditions.
What is the difference between VA combined rating and SMC?
Combined rating is the percentage VA assigns based on the rating schedule (0-100% in 10-point increments). SMC is a separate, higher payment for specific severe conditions like loss of use of a limb, housebound status, or aid-and-attendance need. A veteran at 100% combined may also qualify for SMC. How it is paid depends on the level: SMC-K is an add-on paid on top of your existing rate, while SMC-S, SMC-L and the higher levels are substitute rates paid instead of the 100% rate, at a higher amount.

This calculator is for educational purposes only. It includes optional bilateral factor support (§ 4.26). For official rates, see the VA compensation rates page. For help with your claim, find a VSO representative. Last reviewed: 2026-04-14.