VA Rating for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Median Nerve DC 8515 and 2026 Pay
The CFR has no diagnostic code named for carpal tunnel syndrome; it is rated under the code for the nerve affected. This page prints the tables for diagnostic codes (DC) 8515, 8615 and 8715 in 38 CFR § 4.124a. The schedule has 4 levels, each with a Major-column and a Minor-column rating (Major 10%, 30%, 50% and 70%; Minor 10%, 20%, 40% and 60%). The table below quotes each level word for word from the current CFR text and adds a one-line summary; the 2026 monthly compensation figures that follow are VA's published rates.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Criteria checked against the eCFR and Federal Register October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Carpal tunnel rating criteria in 38 CFR § 4.124a
Diagnostic codes: DC 8515 Paralysis of: The median nerve; DC 8615 Neuritis: The median nerve; DC 8715 Neuralgia: The median nerve. Criteria are quoted from the current CFR; the plain-English column is our summary and is not part of the regulation.
Section lead-in (quotation). Printed once at the start of the peripheral nerve tables, above DC 8510 (the first table); its own words say it covers "this and other peripheral nerve injuries".
The term “incomplete paralysis,” with this and other peripheral nerve injuries, indicates a degree of lost or impaired function substantially less than the type picture for complete paralysis given with each nerve, whether due to varied level of the nerve lesion or to partial regeneration. When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should be for the mild, or at most, the moderate degree. The ratings for the peripheral nerves are for unilateral involvement; when bilateral, combine with application of the bilateral factor.
| Major | Minor | Criteria as printed in 38 CFR (quotation) | In plain English (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | 10% |
| Incomplete paralysis, mild. |
| 30% | 20% |
| Incomplete paralysis, moderate. |
| 50% | 40% |
| Incomplete paralysis, severe. |
| 70% | 60% | Complete; the hand inclined to the ulnar side, the index and middle fingers more extended than normally, considerable atrophy of the muscles of the thenar eminence, the thumb in the plane of the hand (ape hand); pronation incomplete and defective, absence of flexion of index finger and feeble flexion of middle finger, cannot make a fist, index and middle fingers remain extended; cannot flex distal phalanx of thumb, defective opposition and abduction of the thumb, at right angles to palm; flexion of wrist weakened; pain with trophic disturbances | Complete paralysis: the hand inclined to the ulnar side ("ape hand"), with the other findings the CFR lists. |
2026 VA monthly pay at each carpal tunnel rating
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | Same as alone; spouse amounts start at 30% |
| 20% | $356.66 | Same as alone; spouse amounts start at 30% |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 |
VA does not add ratings together. When a veteran has more than one rated condition, VA combines them with its combined ratings table (38 CFR § 4.25), so the amounts above apply to a combined rating, not to this condition alone. Work out a combined rating with the VA disability calculator at /va-disability-calculator/.
VA disability calculator · Full VA disability pay chart with children and parents
How the criteria are written
The CFR does not list carpal tunnel syndrome by name; the § 4.124a text has no entry for it. The median nerve's entries are DC 8515 (paralysis), DC 8615 (neuritis) and DC 8715 (neuralgia). VA's Peripheral Nerves DBQ has a severity section for the median nerve and a separate section of special tests for the median nerve that includes Phalen's sign. Which code and level apply to a claim is for VA to decide.
Each row of the table has two ratings, one in a column headed Major and one in a column headed Minor, so a level can carry two different percentages. Section 4.69 (Dominant hand) is the CFR rule on which hand is dominant. This page does not say which column a particular claim falls under.
The lead-in printed at the start of the peripheral nerve tables (above DC 8510, so before the median nerve table) applies to "this and other peripheral nerve injuries". It says "incomplete paralysis" means a degree of lost or impaired function substantially less than complete paralysis, and that when the involvement is wholly sensory the rating should be for the mild, or at most, the moderate degree. It also says the ratings for the peripheral nerves are for unilateral involvement and that, when bilateral, they are combined with application of the bilateral factor.
DC 8615 and DC 8715 have no rows of their own: they are rated on the same scale, as the FAQ below quotes from § 4.123 and § 4.124.
CFR Appendix A has no entry for DC 8515, 8615 or 8715. The neurological section is the subject of a proposed rule (89 FR 88917) that has not been finalized; the criteria on this page are the current CFR text.
VA publishes Disability Benefits Questionnaires for this area (benefits.va.gov): Peripheral Nerves DBQ.
Is this the current rule?
Source text. § 4.124a Schedule of ratings—neurological conditions and convulsive disorders. from the eCFR (38 CFR Part 4), text up to date as of October 22, 2026, retrieved October 26, 2026. Read the section on eCFR.
Latest final rule affecting the section. 79 FR 2099 (final rule), VA Compensation Service and Pension and Fiduciary Service Nomenclature Changes, published January 13, 2014, effective January 13, 2014. Latest entry in the section's amendment history in the eCFR.
- Appendix A (table of amendments since 1946) has no entry for DC 8515, 8615, 8715.
Upcoming changes. Our Federal Register search on October 26, 2026 found no final rule for this section with an effective date after that day.
Proposed rule (not law). VA proposed a revision of the neurological conditions section on November 12, 2024 (89 FR 88917). It is only a proposal: it has not been finalized, so the CFR text above is the rule that applies and no proposed criteria are shown here. 89 FR 88917
Related conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy: The median nerve is one of the nerves in the peripheral nerve table; that page prints the others.
- Radiculopathy: The upper radicular groups (DC 8510 to 8512) are rated in the same table as the median nerve.
- All VA disability ratings by condition
Questions about the Carpal tunnel rating
What diagnostic code does VA use for carpal tunnel syndrome?
The CFR has no code named for carpal tunnel syndrome; the text of 38 CFR § 4.124a does not mention it. The median nerve has three codes, DC 8515 (paralysis), DC 8615 (neuritis) and DC 8715 (neuralgia), and VA's Peripheral Nerves DBQ includes a severity section for the median nerve and median nerve special tests such as Phalen's sign. Which code and level apply to a claim is for VA to decide.
What are the VA rating levels for carpal tunnel syndrome?
The schedule has 4 levels for carpal tunnel syndrome, each with a Major-column and a Minor-column rating (Major 10%, 30%, 50% and 70%; Minor 10%, 20%, 40% and 60%). Each level has its own criteria, quoted in the table on this page. VA decides which level applies to a claim.
How much is VA disability pay for a carpal tunnel rating in 2026?
VA's 2026 monthly rates for a veteran alone, with the with-spouse amount for 30% and higher, are 10%: $180.42; 20%: $356.66; 30%: $552.47 ($617.47 with a spouse); 40%: $795.84 ($882.84 with a spouse); 50%: $1,132.90 ($1,241.90 with a spouse); 60%: $1,435.02 ($1,566.02 with a spouse); 70%: $1,808.45 ($1,961.45 with a spouse). Rates took effect December 1, 2025. The amount you are paid depends on your combined rating, not on this condition alone.
Are ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome added to my other ratings?
No. VA does not add ratings together; it combines them using the combined ratings table in 38 CFR § 4.25. Use the VA disability calculator on this site at /va-disability-calculator/ to see how ratings combine.
How does the CFR decide which hand is dominant?
Section 4.69 (Dominant hand) says: "Handedness for the purpose of a dominant rating will be determined by the evidence of record, or by testing on VA examination. Only one hand shall be considered dominant. The injured hand, or the most severely injured hand, of an ambidextrous individual will be considered the dominant hand for rating purposes." The median nerve table is headed Major and Minor; this page does not say how those two column headings correspond to the hands.
How are median nerve neuritis and neuralgia (DC 8615 and 8715) rated?
Section 4.123 says: "Neuritis, cranial or peripheral, characterized by loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain, at times excruciating, is to be rated on the scale provided for injury of the nerve involved, with a maximum equal to severe, incomplete, paralysis. See nerve involved for diagnostic code number and rating. The maximum rating which may be assigned for neuritis not characterized by organic changes referred to in this section will be that for moderate, or with sciatic nerve involvement, for moderately severe, incomplete paralysis." Section 4.124 says: "Neuralgia, cranial or peripheral, characterized usually by a dull and intermittent pain, of typical distribution so as to identify the nerve, is to be rated on the same scale, with a maximum equal to moderate incomplete paralysis."
Does this page decide my VA rating?
No. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This page quotes the rating schedule and VA's published rates for information only; it is not legal or medical advice. VA decides the rating and the payment.