VA Disability for Tinnitus: Ratings, Evidence & Secondary Conditions
Tinnitus is the most-claimed VA disability. It carries a single 10% rating, but it frequently supports secondary mental-health and headache claims that add to your combined rating.
How the VA rates Tinnitus
Tinnitus is rated under 38 CFR 4.87, Diagnostic Code 6260 (ratings of 10%–10%). Each criterion below is transcribed verbatim from the VA rating schedule and verified against the regulation (eCFR / Cornell LII) — never paraphrased.
10%
Recurrent tinnitus.
Common conditions secondary to Tinnitus
Veterans routinely under-claim because they don't know a secondary condition exists. These are commonly claimed as secondary to service-connected Tinnitus — each is a candidate to raise with your provider, not an automatic grant, and each needs a medical nexus opinion.
Depressive disorder / anxiety
Chronic tinnitus commonly contributes to a secondary depressive or anxiety disorder (sleep disruption, concentration). Needs a nexus opinion.
Migraine / tension headaches
Migraines/tension headaches are one of the most commonly claimed secondaries to a service-connected mental-health condition, tinnitus, or a cervical-spine condition. Often ratable at 30-50%.
Depressive disorder (secondary to chronic pain)
Chronic pain and functional limitation commonly contribute to a secondary depressive disorder (mental health secondary to a physical condition).
Evidence the VA looks for
A strong Tinnitus claim ties a current diagnosis to your service with a medical nexus. The records that move a Tinnitus claim, in priority order:
- A statement that you experience recurrent ringing, buzzing, or hissing in one or both ears (tinnitus is largely diagnosed on your own report)
- An audiology / C&P exam noting the tinnitus
- Evidence of in-service noise exposure (MOS, deployment, firing ranges, aircraft, machinery)
- A nexus linking the tinnitus to that noise exposure — often conceded for noise-heavy MOS
The C&P exam & the nexus
For most Tinnitus claims the VA schedules a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam. The examiner measures the things the rating schedule turns on and gives a medical opinion on whether your Tinnitus is at least as likely as not connected to your service (the “nexus”). Knowing what the examiner will assess — and bringing the evidence above — is the single biggest thing you control. Prepare for the exam and check that your records support a nexus before you file.
How VA Disability Pro helps with your Tinnitus claim
- AI record analysis. Upload your medical records and DD-214 and let the AI surface the evidence — and the secondary conditions — that support a Tinnitus claim.
- Combined-rating estimator. Estimate your §4.25 combined rating and monthly payment with Tinnitus and your other conditions — free, no signup.
- Presumptive & qualify checks. See whether Tinnitus may be presumptive under the PACT Act and what else you may qualify to claim.
Tinnitus VA disability: frequently asked questions
- What is the VA rating for tinnitus?
- Tinnitus is rated at a single 10% under 38 CFR 4.87 (Diagnostic Code 6260) — whether it affects one ear or both. There is no higher schedular level for tinnitus alone.
- Why is tinnitus only 10%?
- The rating schedule assigns recurrent tinnitus a flat 10%, and that maximum can't be exceeded for the tinnitus itself. The value of a tinnitus claim is often in the secondary conditions it supports — like a depressive or anxiety disorder, or migraines — which are separately ratable.
- What conditions are secondary to tinnitus?
- A depressive or anxiety disorder (from chronic sleep disruption and concentration problems) and migraine / tension headaches are the conditions most commonly claimed as secondary to service-connected tinnitus, each needing a nexus opinion.
- Do I need an audiogram for tinnitus?
- Tinnitus is largely diagnosed from your own consistent report of the symptom, so an audiogram is not strictly required to establish it — though a C&P exam usually documents it, and an audiogram is needed for any accompanying hearing-loss claim.
Informational only and not a guarantee of any rating or outcome. The criteria above are quoted from the VA rating schedule; your actual rating depends on a C&P exam and the evidence in your file, and the VA makes the final decision. This is not medical or legal advice. VA Disability Pro is an independent platform — not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and not an accredited representative.