Understanding VA Disability Ratings
VA Math isn't normal math. Here is how your rating is actually calculated.
How VA Math Works
If you have a 50% rating for PTSD and a 30% rating for your back, your total rating is not 80%. It's 65% (rounded to 70%).
The VA calculates your combined rating by starting with the assumption that you are 100% efficient (healthy). They deduct your highest rating first, then apply subsequent ratings only to the remaining efficiency.
Example Calculation: 50% and 30%
- Start with 100% efficiency.
- Apply the highest rating (50%): 100 - 50 = 50% efficiency remaining. You are 50% disabled.
- Apply the second rating (30%) to the remaining 50%: 30% of 50 = 15.
- Add the disabilities together: 50 + 15 = 65% total disability.
- The VA rounds to the nearest 10, so 65% rounds up to a 70% combined rating.
The Bilateral Factor
If you have ratable disabilities on both sides of your body (e.g., both knees, or left arm and right leg), the VA applies a "bilateral factor." Because injuring both sides of your body makes daily life significantly harder, the VA adds an extra 10% to the combined rating of those specific bilateral conditions before factoring in your other disabilities.
2025 Base Compensation Rates
| Rating | Monthly Base Pay (Veteran Alone) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $175.51 |
| 20% | $346.95 |
| 30% | $537.42 |
| 40% | $774.16 |
| 50% | $1,102.04 |
| 60% | $1,395.93 |
| 70% | $1,759.19 |
| 80% | $2,044.89 |
| 90% | $2,297.96 |
| 100% | $3,831.30 |
* Rates increase if you have a spouse, dependent children, or dependent parents (for ratings 30% and higher).