Tinnitus is the most claimed VA disability in the country. More than 2.3 million veterans have it service-connected. It is also one of the most misunderstood, because the rating itself is small and the real value comes from understanding what to file with it.
This page explains exactly how the VA rates tinnitus in 2026, what you get paid, and how veterans use tinnitus as the foundation for a significantly higher combined rating.
The Basic Rating: 10% Under DC 6260
The VA rates tinnitus under 38 CFR 4.87, Diagnostic Code 6260. The rating is flat. There are no tiers. There is no scale based on how loud the ringing is or how much it affects your sleep.
If you have service-connected tinnitus, you receive 10%.
That 10% rating applies whether the sound is in one ear, both ears, or inside your head. VA regulations specify that only one evaluation is assigned for recurrent tinnitus regardless of how many ears are affected. There is no bilateral factor for tinnitus.
At 10% with no dependents, your 2026 monthly payment is $180.42. That is $2,165.04 per year, tax-free.
For many veterans, that number feels low relative to how much the condition affects daily life. The ringing disrupts sleep. It makes it hard to concentrate. It causes frustration, anxiety, and exhaustion. But the VA rating does not reflect severity. The code has one evaluation, and fighting for a higher standalone tinnitus rating is not a path that leads anywhere.
The path that leads somewhere is secondary conditions.
Tinnitus as a Gateway Claim
Tinnitus almost always connects to other conditions. Those conditions have their own diagnostic codes and their own rating tiers. They can be filed as secondary to your tinnitus, meaning you do not have to prove they are directly connected to your military service. You only have to show they are caused or aggravated by your already service-connected tinnitus.
This is the real strategy. A veteran with 10% for tinnitus who successfully adds secondary conditions can reach 50%, 70%, or higher on the combined rating without any new direct service connection evidence.
Here are the most valuable secondary conditions to consider:
- Sleep disorders. Tinnitus disrupts sleep. The constant ringing makes it hard to fall asleep and harder to stay asleep. Sleep apnea rates at 30% for persistent daytime hypersomnolence and 50% if a CPAP machine is prescribed. Insomnia can also be separately rated. If you have a tinnitus diagnosis and documented sleep problems, a nexus letter from a physician connecting the two is the foundation of a secondary claim.
- Anxiety and depression. Living with constant auditory noise has real psychological effects. Anxiety disorder rates at 10% to 100% under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. Depression rates the same way. Veterans with tinnitus-related mental health symptoms who have not filed separately are leaving significant compensation on the table.
- Migraine headaches. Tinnitus and migraines share overlapping neurological pathways. Migraines rate at 0% to 50% depending on frequency and severity of prostrating attacks. If your tinnitus is accompanied by frequent headaches, a secondary connection is worth pursuing.
- Hearing loss (DC 6100). This is not a secondary condition. It is a separate primary condition. Tinnitus and hearing loss are distinct diagnoses under distinct diagnostic codes, and the VA recognizes them as separate disabilities. Filing for both is not pyramiding. Veterans with both conditions should claim both.
Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Are Two Different Claims
One of the most common mistakes veterans make is assuming tinnitus and hearing loss are the same claim. They are not.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound that is not there. The ringing, buzzing, or hissing you hear when no external sound is present.
Hearing loss is the reduced ability to hear sounds that are there. The VA rates it under DC 6100 using audiometric testing, specifically puretone average thresholds and Maryland CNC speech discrimination scores.
The VA routinely grants both conditions simultaneously for the same veteran. You file for each one individually. The ratings are then combined using standard VA math. For many veterans with noise-induced tinnitus, some degree of measurable hearing loss exists alongside it. Get a hearing test. File both claims.
How Tinnitus Gets Service-Connected
Service connection requires three things: a current diagnosis of tinnitus, an in-service event that caused or contributed to it, and a nexus connecting the two.
For most veterans, the in-service event is noise exposure. Weapons fire, aircraft, machinery, generators, and vehicle engines all produce sustained noise levels well above the threshold for cochlear damage. If you served in an environment with loud noise, that is your in-service event.
The VA classifies tinnitus as an organic disease of the nervous system under VA Adjudication Manual M21-1. This classification matters because it places tinnitus in the category of conditions eligible for presumptive service connection under 38 CFR 3.309(a) for certain veterans.
For veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, or other toxic substances under the PACT Act, tinnitus that develops as a secondary result of toxic exposure-related conditions may also have a pathway to service connection through the underlying primary condition.
What to Say at Your C&P Exam
The tinnitus C&P exam is one of the shorter exams in the VA system. The examiner is primarily documenting the presence and character of the tinnitus. Here is what matters:
- Be specific about what you hear. Ringing, buzzing, hissing, humming, clicking, roaring. The more specific you are, the better the documentation.
- Tell them if it is constant or intermittent. Constant or nearly constant tinnitus is the standard for the 10% rating. If yours comes and goes, document whether it is frequent enough to be considered persistent.
- Describe the impact. Tell the examiner how tinnitus affects your sleep, your concentration, your mood, and your daily functioning. This information supports secondary claims even if it does not change the tinnitus rating itself.
- Report both ears. Even if the ringing seems louder on one side, document that it affects both. There is no rating difference, but documenting bilateral symptoms supports the overall record.
Is Your Tinnitus Rating Working as Hard as It Should?
A 10% tinnitus rating on its own pays $180.42 a month. The same veteran with tinnitus plus secondary sleep apnea at 50% is looking at a combined rating of 60% and a monthly payment of $1,395.93 before dependents.
That is a $1,215 monthly difference. Tax-free. Every month.
The difference is knowing what to file. A VA-accredited attorney can review your complete rating picture at no cost. They identify secondary conditions you have not filed for and help you build the evidence to support them. They are paid only if they win your case.