Tinnitus is rated under DC 6260 (38 CFR § 4.87) at a single 10% — regardless of unilateral or bilateral presentation, severity, frequency, or constancy. 2026 monthly rate at 10% is $175.03. Bilateral does not raise the rating, and the bilateral factor under § 4.26 does not apply. The real value is what tinnitus unlocks: hearing loss (DC 6100), secondary mental-health claims, and the established noise-exposure nexus.
Under 38 CFR § 4.87 Diagnostic Code 6260, tinnitus has a single rating tier: 10%. The rating applies once — unilateral and bilateral tinnitus are rated the same. There is no higher tier for severity, duration, or constancy.
The Federal Circuit in Smith v. Nicholson (Vet. App. 2006) confirmed the single-rating interpretation. The bilateral factor under 38 CFR § 4.26 — which adds 10% to combined paired-extremity disabilities — does not apply to tinnitus, because tinnitus is rated under § 4.87 as a single condition rather than as a paired-organ system.
2026 single-veteran monthly compensation at 10% is $175.03. With dependents under 38 USC § 1115 the amount is higher.
Three Caluza elements (Caluza v. Brown, Vet. App. 1995) for direct service connection under 38 CFR § 3.303: current diagnosis, in-service event, and medical nexus.
Tinnitus is one of the few conditions that does not require an audiologist's confirmation. Per Jandreau v. Nicholson (Fed. Cir. 2007), lay testimony of subjective ringing in the ears is competent — the veteran is qualified to report what they perceive. The C&P examiner records the report and that establishes the diagnosis.
The most common pathway is documented hazardous noise exposure based on Military Occupational Specialty (MOS — or “rating” in the Navy and Coast Guard, “AFSC” in the Air Force). VA Adjudication Procedures Manual M21-1 Part IV.ii.1.I.3 provides an MOS noise probability table:
Highly probable noise exposure: 11-series Army (Infantry), 13-series Army (Field Artillery), 0311 Marines (Rifleman), 0341/0352 Marines (Mortarman/Anti-Tank), Navy gunner's mates, Air Force loadmasters, all aviation maintenance MOSes.
Probable noise exposure: Most combat-arms MOSes, vehicle crews, flight-line personnel.
Possible noise exposure: Most other MOSes — requires individual evidence (incident reports, deployment records, lay statements).
Combat veterans get an additional advantage under 38 USC § 1154(b) — lay testimony of in-service noise exposure consistent with the circumstances of combat is accepted without contemporaneous documentation.
Service treatment records often contain audiograms from periodic hearing conservation program evaluations. A documented threshold shift (measurable worsening of hearing between two in-service audiograms) is strong evidence of noise damage — even when the shift is not large enough to constitute a separate hearing-loss disability. The threshold shift establishes that noise exposure during service damaged the auditory system, which is the same mechanism that produces tinnitus. Request hearing conservation records via FOIA if they are not in your STRs.
For most cases, the C&P audiologist provides the nexus. When the nexus is denied — usually because in-service hearing tests showed no shift, or there is a long gap between separation and onset — an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) explaining delayed-onset tinnitus is the recovery path. See the nexus letter guide for opinion-quality standards under Nieves-Rodriguez v. Peake.
The 10% ceiling is the floor — every other claim that flows from tinnitus (hearing loss, mental health, Meniere's, TBI) is the actual stack. Several value streams typically open beyond the schedular rating itself:
The standard DBQ for hearing loss and tinnitus has predictable questions. Honest, specific answers control:
Onset: when did the ringing start? Tie to a specific in-service event if possible (range, deployment, blast, equipment).
Constancy: constant, intermittent, or situational? “Constant” is most credible when documented.
Laterality: one ear, both, or worse in one. Bilateral does not raise the rating, but the answer flags potential audiologic asymmetry.
Quality: ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring, clicking. Helps differentiate subjective tinnitus from objective causes.
Functional impact: interferes with sleep, concentration, social interaction. This is where secondary mental-health claims build their foundation — answer fully.
10% — under DC 6260 (38 CFR § 4.87), tinnitus is rated as a single 10% disability regardless of whether it is unilateral or bilateral. The 2026 single-veteran monthly rate at 10% is $175.03.
No. DC 6260 has only one tier — 10%. Severity, duration, and constancy do not produce a higher schedular rating. However, tinnitus is frequently claimed with hearing loss (DC 6100) and can serve as the "in-service event" for secondary mental-health claims (PTSD, anxiety, depression).
No. Smith v. Nicholson (Vet. App. 2006) and the DC 6260 plain reading hold that tinnitus is rated as a single 10% — bilateral does not double the rating. The bilateral factor under 38 CFR § 4.26 does not apply to tinnitus.
Under 38 CFR § 3.303, you need an in-service event and a current diagnosis. The in-service event is usually documented hazardous noise exposure based on MOS (e.g., 11B, 13B, 0311, gun crews, aviation maintenance) or specific incidents (IED, weapons discharge). Per Jandreau v. Nicholson, lay testimony of ringing in the ears is competent — tinnitus is one of the few conditions a layperson can diagnose by self-report.
Yes. Tinnitus secondary to hearing loss (DC 6100) is the most common pathway. Tinnitus secondary to TBI (DC 8045), Meniere's disease, or medication side effects (ototoxicity from certain prescriptions) are also recognized under 38 CFR § 3.310.
Standard DBQ-Hearing-Loss-and-Tinnitus questions: when did the ringing start, is it constant or intermittent, in one or both ears, what does it sound like (ringing, buzzing, hissing), does it interfere with sleep or concentration, and any in-service noise exposure events. Functional impact answers shape rating decisions on co-claimed conditions even if tinnitus itself caps at 10%.