VA Hearing Loss Rating: Tables VI, VIa, VII and 2026 Pay
VA rates hearing loss under diagnostic code (DC) 6100 with the method in 38 CFR § 4.85 and § 4.86: an audiologist's Maryland CNC speech discrimination test and puretone audiometry give each ear a Roman numeral from Table VI (or Table VIa), and Table VII turns the two numerals into a percentage from 0% to 100%. This page quotes § 4.85 and § 4.86 and prints Tables VI, VIa and VII, lets you enter the thresholds and speech score of each ear to see the numerals, the table used and the Table VII percentage, and shows the 2026 VA monthly compensation at every level Table VII can give.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Criteria checked against the eCFR and Federal Register October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Hearing loss rules in 38 CFR § 4.85 and § 4.86, DC 6100
Diagnostic code: DC 6100 hearing loss, rated with the tables of § 4.85(h). Both sections are quoted from the current CFR, paragraph by paragraph.
Section as printed: § 4.85 Evaluation of hearing impairment.
(a) An examination for hearing impairment for VA purposes must be conducted by a state-licensed audiologist and must include a controlled speech discrimination test (Maryland CNC) and a puretone audiometry test. Examinations will be conducted without the use of hearing aids.
(b) Table VI, “Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based on Puretone Threshold Average and Speech Discrimination,” is used to determine a Roman numeral designation (I through XI) for hearing impairment based on a combination of the percent of speech discrimination (horizontal rows) and the puretone threshold average (vertical columns). The Roman numeral designation is located at the point where the percentage of speech discrimination and puretone threshold average intersect.
(c) Table VIa, “Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based Only on Puretone Threshold Average,” is used to determine a Roman numeral designation (I through XI) for hearing impairment based only on the puretone threshold average. Table VIa will be used when the examiner certifies that use of the speech discrimination test is not appropriate because of language difficulties, inconsistent speech discrimination scores, etc., or when indicated under the provisions of § 4.86.
(d) “Puretone threshold average,” as used in Tables VI and VIa, is the sum of the puretone thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz, divided by four. This average is used in all cases (including those in § 4.86) to determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from Table VI or VIa.
(e) Table VII, “Percentage Evaluations for Hearing Impairment,” is used to determine the percentage evaluation by combining the Roman numeral designations for hearing impairment of each ear. The horizontal rows represent the ear having the better hearing and the vertical columns the ear having the poorer hearing. The percentage evaluation is located at the point where the row and column intersect.
(f) If impaired hearing is service-connected in only one ear, in order to determine the percentage evaluation from Table VII, the non-service-connected ear will be assigned a Roman Numeral designation for hearing impairment of I, subject to the provisions of § 3.383 of this chapter.
(g) When evaluating any claim for impaired hearing, refer to § 3.350 of this chapter to determine whether the veteran may be entitled to special monthly compensation due either to deafness, or to deafness in combination with other specified disabilities.
(h) Numeric tables VI, VIA*, and VII.
Section as printed: § 4.86 Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment.
(a) When the puretone threshold at each of the four specified frequencies (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz) is 55 decibels or more, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIa, whichever results in the higher numeral. Each ear will be evaluated separately.
(b) When the puretone threshold is 30 decibels or less at 1000 Hertz, and 70 decibels or more at 2000 Hertz, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIa, whichever results in the higher numeral. That numeral will then be elevated to the next higher Roman numeral. Each ear will be evaluated separately.
Hearing loss rating lookup: Table VI, VIa and VII
Hearing aids and how the test is done (§ 4.85(a), quotation):
(a) An examination for hearing impairment for VA purposes must be conducted by a state-licensed audiologist and must include a controlled speech discrimination test (Maryland CNC) and a puretone audiometry test. Examinations will be conducted without the use of hearing aids.
The puretone threshold average (§ 4.85(d), quotation):
(d) “Puretone threshold average,” as used in Tables VI and VIa, is the sum of the puretone thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz, divided by four. This average is used in all cases (including those in § 4.86) to determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from Table VI or VIa.
Enter the four thresholds and the speech discrimination for each service-connected ear to look up the numerals and the percentage.
This applies the printed tables to the numbers you type. It is not a prediction of the rating VA will assign: VA decides from the audiologist's examination, and § 4.86 is applied as written (2 paragraphs, quoted above).
Tables VI, VIa and VII (38 CFR § 4.85(h))
The eCFR publishes these three tables as images; the numbers below are a cell-by-cell text transcription of them.
| % of discrimination | 0-41 | 42-49 | 50-57 | 58-65 | 66-73 | 74-81 | 82-89 | 90-97 | 98+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92-100 | I | I | I | II | II | II | III | III | IV |
| 84-90 | II | II | II | III | III | III | IV | IV | IV |
| 76-82 | III | III | IV | IV | IV | V | V | V | V |
| 68-74 | IV | IV | V | V | VI | VI | VII | VII | VII |
| 60-66 | V | V | VI | VI | VII | VII | VIII | VIII | VIII |
| 52-58 | VI | VI | VII | VII | VIII | VIII | VIII | VIII | IX |
| 44-50 | VII | VII | VIII | VIII | VIII | IX | IX | IX | X |
| 36-42 | VIII | VIII | VIII | IX | IX | IX | X | X | X |
| 0-34 | IX | X | XI | XI | XI | XI | XI | XI | XI |
| 0-41 | 42-48 | 49-55 | 56-62 | 63-69 | 70-76 | 77-83 | 84-90 | 91-97 | 98-104 | 105+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI |
* This table is for use only as specified in §§ 4.85 and 4.86.
| Better Ear (rows) / Poorer ear (columns) | XI | X | IX | VIII | VII | VI | V | IV | III | II | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 100* | ||||||||||
| X | 90 | 80 | |||||||||
| IX | 80 | 70 | 60 | ||||||||
| VIII | 70 | 60 | 50 | 50 | |||||||
| VII | 60 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 40 | ||||||
| VI | 50 | 50 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 30 | |||||
| V | 40 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 30 | 20 | 20 | ||||
| IV | 30 | 30 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | |||
| III | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | ||
| II | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| I | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Review for entitlement to special monthly compensation under §3.350 of this chapter.
2026 VA monthly pay at each hearing loss rating
| Rating | Veteran alone | With spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0.00 | VA's rate table starts at 10%, so a 0% rating has no monthly compensation rate |
| 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 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 |
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 eCFR text of § 4.87, the ear schedule, has no DC 6100 rating line; § 4.87 mentions DC 6100 only in Note (1) of DC 6260. DC 6100 appears in the title of Table VII, "Percentage evaluation for hearing impairment (Diagnostic code 6100)". § 4.85(h) publishes Tables VI, VIA and VII as images; this page prints them as text, cell by cell.
Each ear gets its own Roman numeral: § 4.86 says each ear is evaluated separately. Table VII then combines the numerals: the horizontal rows are the ear with the better hearing and the vertical columns the ear with the poorer hearing (§ 4.85(e)). If hearing is service connected in only one ear, § 4.85(f) assigns the other ear numeral I, subject to § 3.383.
§ 4.86 covers two exceptional patterns. Under (a), when the threshold at each of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hz is 55 dB or more, the numeral is the higher of Table VI and Table VIa. Under (b), when the threshold is 30 dB or less at 1000 Hz and 70 dB or more at 2000 Hz, the numeral is the higher of Table VI and Table VIa, elevated to the next higher Roman numeral.
The tables print puretone threshold average bands and speech discrimination rows as whole numbers. An average of the four thresholds can be a fraction, and some whole speech scores sit between two printed rows. The CFR text does not say how to treat those, so the lookup shows every numeral and percentage that the neighbouring bands give instead of choosing one.
VA's public DBQ list names a "Hearing Loss and Tinnitus" DBQ in a group it describes as not available for public use. There is no public PDF to link, so this page links no DBQ.
Is this the current rule?
Source text. § 4.85 Evaluation of hearing impairment. 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. § 4.86 Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment. from the eCFR, text up to date as of October 22, 2026, retrieved October 26, 2026. Read the section on eCFR.
Latest final rule affecting the section. 64 FR 25202 (final rule), Schedule for Rating Disabilities; Diseases of the Ear and Other Sense Organs, published May 11, 1999, effective June 10, 1999. The eCFR amendment history of § 4.85 and § 4.86 lists only this rule (its pages 25206 and 25209); the Federal Register API has no effective date for it, and its DATES paragraph says the amendment is effective June 10, 1999. Tables VI, VIA and VII are the figures it published.
Rule that set these criteria. 64 FR 25202, effective June 10, 1999. The 1999 final rule revised § 4.85 and § 4.86 and published Tables VI, VIA and VII; the eCFR amendment history of both sections lists only this rule.
- Appendix A (table of amendments since 1946) has no entry for DC 6100.
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 on February 15, 2022 (87 FR 8474) to change § 4.85, § 4.86 and DC 6100: new terminology ("word recognition", "pure-tone air conduction threshold"), "cognitive difficulties" and "English non-fluency" as reasons the speech test may be inappropriate, and a 10 percent rating for tinnitus with noncompensable hearing loss. It is only a proposal: it has not been finalized, so the CFR text above is the rule that applies and the proposed text is not shown here. 87 FR 8474
Related conditions
- Tinnitus: Tinnitus is rated separately under DC 6260; Note (1) of DC 6260 says a separate tinnitus evaluation may be combined with an evaluation under DC 6100 unless tinnitus supports that evaluation.
- Traumatic brain injury: DC 8045 lists hearing loss and tinnitus among the physical residuals of traumatic brain injury to evaluate under an appropriate diagnostic code.
- All VA disability ratings by condition
Questions about the Hearing loss rating
What diagnostic code does VA use for hearing loss?
Hearing loss is rated under diagnostic code (DC) 6100 using 38 CFR § 4.85 (Evaluation of hearing impairment), § 4.86 (Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment) and Tables VI, VIA and VII. The title of Table VII reads "Percentage evaluation for hearing impairment (Diagnostic code 6100)". The eCFR text of § 4.87 has no DC 6100 rating line; § 4.87 mentions DC 6100 only in Note (1) of DC 6260. The text is quoted from the eCFR as current as of October 22, 2026.
How does VA rate bilateral hearing loss?
Each ear gets a Roman numeral, and Table VII combines the two: (e) Table VII, “Percentage Evaluations for Hearing Impairment,” is used to determine the percentage evaluation by combining the Roman numeral designations for hearing impairment of each ear. The horizontal rows represent the ear having the better hearing and the vertical columns the ear having the poorer hearing. The percentage evaluation is located at the point where the row and column intersect. Table VII lists 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%.
Does VA test hearing with hearing aids?
No. (a) An examination for hearing impairment for VA purposes must be conducted by a state-licensed audiologist and must include a controlled speech discrimination test (Maryland CNC) and a puretone audiometry test. Examinations will be conducted without the use of hearing aids.
What are the hearing loss rating tables, and where is the official chart?
The tables are Table VI, Table VIA and Table VII of 38 CFR § 4.85(h). The eCFR publishes them as images, and this page prints all three as text with the numbers as printed. (b) Table VI, “Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based on Puretone Threshold Average and Speech Discrimination,” is used to determine a Roman numeral designation (I through XI) for hearing impairment based on a combination of the percent of speech discrimination (horizontal rows) and the puretone threshold average (vertical columns). The Roman numeral designation is located at the point where the percentage of speech discrimination and puretone threshold average intersect.
When does VA use Table VIa instead of Table VI?
(c) Table VIa, “Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based Only on Puretone Threshold Average,” is used to determine a Roman numeral designation (I through XI) for hearing impairment based only on the puretone threshold average. Table VIa will be used when the examiner certifies that use of the speech discrimination test is not appropriate because of language difficulties, inconsistent speech discrimination scores, etc., or when indicated under the provisions of § 4.86.
What if only one ear is service connected?
(f) If impaired hearing is service-connected in only one ear, in order to determine the percentage evaluation from Table VII, the non-service-connected ear will be assigned a Roman Numeral designation for hearing impairment of I, subject to the provisions of § 3.383 of this chapter.
What are the exceptional patterns of hearing impairment?
(a) When the puretone threshold at each of the four specified frequencies (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz) is 55 decibels or more, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIa, whichever results in the higher numeral. Each ear will be evaluated separately. (b) When the puretone threshold is 30 decibels or less at 1000 Hertz, and 70 decibels or more at 2000 Hertz, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI or Table VIa, whichever results in the higher numeral. That numeral will then be elevated to the next higher Roman numeral. Each ear will be evaluated separately.
Are hearing loss and tinnitus rated together?
Separately. Note (1) of DC 6260 in § 4.87 says: "A separate evaluation for tinnitus may be combined with an evaluation under diagnostic codes 6100, 6200, 6204, or other diagnostic code, except when tinnitus supports an evaluation under one of those diagnostic codes." Tinnitus has its own page on this site.
Is special monthly compensation possible for hearing loss?
(g) When evaluating any claim for impaired hearing, refer to § 3.350 of this chapter to determine whether the veteran may be entitled to special monthly compensation due either to deafness, or to deafness in combination with other specified disabilities. Table VII carries a footnote on the 100% cell: "* Review for entitlement to special monthly compensation under §3.350 of this chapter."
How much is VA disability pay for a hearing loss 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); 80%: $2,102.15 ($2,277.15 with a spouse); 90%: $2,362.30 ($2,559.30 with a spouse); 100%: $3,938.58 ($4,158.17 with a spouse). A 0% rating is not in VA's rate table, which starts at 10%. Rates took effect December 1, 2025. The amount you are paid depends on your combined rating, not on this condition alone.
Are ratings for hearing loss 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.
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.