Last legally reviewed: November 2, 2026
Tinnitus, the ringing or buzzing that never leaves, is among the most claimed disabilities in the entire VA system, and hearing loss travels beside it. The two get rated in completely different ways: one by a simple flat rating, the other by a testing table that leaves little room for argument.
Here is how each works, and where each claim is actually won.
Tinnitus: the flat 10
Under the current schedule, recurrent tinnitus is rated at 10 percent, and it is a single 10 percent rating whether the ringing is in one ear or both. There is no higher schedular level for tinnitus alone. The claim turns on two things: a service connection story, commonly noise exposure from weapons, aircraft, engines, or blasts, and your own credible, consistent reports. Tinnitus is subjective; no machine detects it, which makes your consistency across records and statements the core evidence. Small rating, real value: a 10 can move a combined rating across a rounding line, and tinnitus can also anchor secondary theories in some cases.
Hearing loss: the table decides
Hearing loss is different: it is mechanical. The VA first asks whether your hearing loss is severe enough to count as a disability at all under 38 CFR 3.385, which sets threshold requirements based on decibel levels and speech recognition scores. Then the rating comes from tables in 38 CFR 4.85, driven by a puretone audiogram and a Maryland CNC speech discrimination test administered by a state-licensed audiologist. The numbers go in, the rating comes out, and many veterans with genuine hearing damage rate at 0 percent because the tables are strict. Remember what a 0 still is: service connection on the books, a foundation for the future as the hearing changes.
This rule has exceptions. Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment have their own table provisions, and proposed changes to the auditory schedule, including how tinnitus is rated, have been published but are not final as of this writing. Verify current status before relying on either. Individual cases vary. See what a 10 for tinnitus does to your combined rating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get more than 10 percent for tinnitus? Not under the current schedular criteria for tinnitus alone. Related conditions with their own criteria are rated separately when distinct.
My hearing test came back 0 percent. Was the claim pointless? No. Service connection at 0 percent preserves the connection as hearing worsens with age, and worsening is common.
What noise exposure counts? Weapons fire, flight lines, engine rooms, artillery, machinery: your military occupational specialty and duties are evidence, and lay statements about exposure help.
Sources
- 38 CFR 3.385, 4.85, and 4.87 (DC 6260) at ecfr.gov
- va.gov hearing loss claim pages
VA Champion, LLC provides self-help software and general educational information. This article is educational only, not legal or medical advice, and not a substitute for an accredited representative. The VA decides all ratings, approvals, and timelines.
