VA Disability Calculator
Add each disability rating and see the combined rating the VA method produces, with every step shown. This page calculates the combined rating only, not the payment. It is an estimate, not a VA decision, and the VA decides your actual rating.
Last updated November 3, 2026
Up to 20 ratings. Mark bilateral for paired arms, legs or muscle groups.
Result
Combined rating: 70%
Combined value 65% before rounding to the nearest 10. One more rating of 30% would reach the 80% band.
A rating only, not a payment amount. The VA makes the final decision.
Show the work
Formula: combined = combined + rating × (100 − combined) / 100, rounded to a whole number at each step, highest rating first; final value rounded to the nearest 10
- Ratings above 0%, highest first: 50%, 30%.
- Start with the highest value: 50%
- 50% combined with 30%: 50 + 30 × (100 − 50) / 100 = 65, rounded to 65
- Round 65% to the nearest 10 (5 rounds up): 70%
Result: 70% combined rating
How VA disability ratings are combined
combined = combined + rating × (100 − combined) / 100, highest rating first, rounded to a whole number at each step
final = combined rounded to the nearest 10
The VA does not add disability ratings together. Each rating is applied to the part of the person that is still considered "efficient". Start at 100% efficiency. A 50% rating leaves 50% of the person, and a 30% rating then takes 30% of that remainder, which is 15 points. The combined value is 50 + 15 = 65.
Ratings are arranged from highest to lowest. After each pair the result is rounded to a whole number, which matches the whole-number values in the VA combined ratings table (38 CFR 4.25). Only the final value is rounded to the nearest 10, and a value ending in 5 rounds up. So 65 becomes 70, while 64 would become 60.
A 0% rating is valid but has no effect on the combined value. The calculator accepts up to 20 ratings, each a whole multiple of 10 from 0 to 100.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Also useful alongside this calculator: Overtime Calculator.
The bilateral factor
Under 38 CFR 4.26, disabilities of both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles count as bilateral. Mark those rows with the Bilateral box. The calculator first combines the bilateral ratings with each other, then adds 10% of that combined value and treats the sum as a single rating alongside your other ratings.
For example, bilateral ratings of 40% and 20% combine to 52. Ten percent of 52 is 5.2, giving 57.2, which is rounded to 57 and then combined with any other ratings. The factor needs at least two bilateral ratings above 0%. A single bilateral row gets no factor.
Rounding and the next band
Because the final result is rounded to the nearest 10, small differences matter at the boundary. A combined value of 74 is rated 70, but 75 is rated 80. The result box tells you the smallest single extra rating that would lift you to the next 10% band, when one exists.
That hint is arithmetic only. It does not say a condition is rated, and a new rating can only come from a VA decision.
Rating is not payment
This page calculates the combined rating, not the payment. Monthly compensation depends on the rating, dependents and other factors, and the VA updates the amounts. For current figures, use the official VA compensation rates page at va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates.
Sources
Official and primary sources for the statements on this page. Their authors have not reviewed or endorsed this page.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 38 CFR 4.25, Combined ratings table, ecfr.gov.. Combining ratings in descending order, the efficiency method and rounding the final value to the nearest 10.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 38 CFR 4.26, Bilateral factor, ecfr.gov.. Combining paired-limb ratings first and adding 10% of that value before combining with other ratings.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Combined disability ratings, va.gov.. The VA explanation of why ratings are not added and how the combined rating is rounded.
This page contains no compensation amounts. Payment rates change and are published only by the VA at va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates.
The whole-number rounding at each step follows how the VA combined ratings table is published. The VA, not this page, makes every rating decision.
This is an estimate, not a VA decision and not legal advice. Consider an accredited representative or Veterans Service Organization for claims help.
How to use the VA Disability Calculator
- Choose a rating from 0% to 100% for each service-connected disability. Use Add rating for more rows, up to 20.
- Tick Bilateral on ratings for both arms, both legs or paired muscle groups.
- Read the combined rating, the combined value before rounding and the hint for the next band.
- Open Show the work to see every combining step, then use Copy, Print or Share.
Example: 60%, 30% and 20%
A veteran has ratings of 60%, 30% and 20%. Simple addition gives 110%, which is impossible. The VA method combines them from highest to lowest.
| Step | Calculation | Exact | Rounded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 + 30 × (100 − 60) / 100 | 72 | 72 |
| 2 | 72 + 20 × (100 − 72) / 100 | 77.6 | 78 |
| 3 | Round 78 to the nearest 10 | 80 |
Frequently asked questions
Why are VA disability ratings not simply added together?
Each rating applies to the remaining efficiency, not to the whole person, so ratings of 60%, 30% and 20% combine to 80%, not 110%. Adding would allow totals above 100%.
What is the bilateral factor and when does it apply?
It adds 10% of the combined value of paired-limb or paired-muscle ratings, such as both arms or both legs. Two or more bilateral ratings are needed, and the result then counts as one rating.
How does the VA round a combined disability rating?
Intermediate values are whole numbers, and the final combined value is rounded to the nearest 10, with 5 rounding up. So 65 is rated 70 and 64 is rated 60.
What does a 0% disability rating mean?
It means a condition is service connected but not currently disabling enough to be compensable. It has no effect on the combined rating here, although it can matter if the condition worsens.
Where can I see actual VA payment amounts?
This page shows ratings only. The VA publishes current monthly compensation rates, which depend on the rating and dependents, at va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates.