KEY TAKEAWAYS
- VA rates hearing loss with two tests from a state-licensed audiologist: a Maryland CNC speech test and a puretone test, both done without hearing aids. The scores go through three tables in 38 CFR 4.85 and produce a rating from 0% to 100%.
- The tables need a large loss in both ears before the rating climbs, so ratings stay low: across all hearing-related disabilities, 94% of VA ratings are 0% or 10%. A 10% rating pays $180.42 a month and 20% pays $356.66 for 2026.
- A 0% service-connected hearing loss rating still counts. Under 38 CFR 17.149, VA furnishes hearing aids for service-connected hearing loss rated 0% when the loss affects your ability to communicate, as long as you are enrolled in VA health care.
- Tinnitus is rated separately under diagnostic code 6260 at a flat 10%. Combined with a 10% hearing loss rating, the two round to a 20% combined rating.
- Hearing loss is one of the most common VA disabilities: 1,690,837 veterans were compensated for it in fiscal 2025, the sixth most common service-connected condition, behind tinnitus at 3,583,295.
- How VA Rates Hearing Loss
- Table VI: Turning Your Test Into a Roman Numeral
- Table VII: Your Hearing Loss Rating
- Why Most Hearing Loss Ratings Are 0% or 10%
- Exceptional Patterns That Raise the Rating
- Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
- Free VA Hearing Aids, Even at 0%
- Proving Your Hearing Loss Is Service-Connected
- How to File a Hearing Loss Claim
- What to Expect at the C&P Audiology Exam
- Secondary Conditions and Getting a Higher Rating
- Frequently Asked Questions
Hearing loss is the disability most veterans expect to be easy and most are surprised by. You can struggle to follow a conversation in a restaurant, turn the TV up past where your family can stand it, and still get a 0% rating. This guide walks through exactly how VA turns your audiogram into a percentage, why most ratings stay low, the two patterns that earn a boost, how tinnitus fits in, and the benefit that matters more than the rating for many veterans: free hearing aids from VA, even at 0%. If you’re new to how VA scores conditions in general, start with our VA disability ratings guide.
How VA Rates Hearing Loss
Hearing loss falls under diagnostic code 6100, and unlike most conditions it is rated almost entirely by test numbers rather than by an examiner’s description of your symptoms. The rules are in 38 CFR 4.85. The exam has to be done by a state-licensed audiologist, has to include a controlled speech discrimination test (the Maryland CNC) and a puretone audiometry test, and is done without your hearing aids in.
Two numbers come out of the exam for each ear:
- Speech discrimination score. The percentage of words you correctly repeat from a standard recorded word list. 100% is perfect.
- Puretone threshold average. The quietest sound you can hear at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz, measured in decibels, added together and divided by four. Higher numbers mean worse hearing. The test also measures 500 Hertz, but VA leaves it out of the average.
VA then runs those numbers through three tables. Table VI turns each ear’s two scores into a Roman numeral from I (normal or near-normal) to XI (profound loss). Table VII takes the numerals for your better ear and your poorer ear and gives the rating. A third table, VIa, uses the puretone average alone and applies only in special cases.
When Hearing Loss Counts as a Disability
Before any rating, VA has to agree you have hearing loss at all by its own definition. Under 38 CFR 3.385, hearing counts as a disability when any of these is true:
- Your threshold at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 or 4000 Hertz is 40 decibels or worse in at least one of those frequencies.
- Your thresholds at three or more of those frequencies are 26 decibels or worse.
- Your Maryland CNC speech score is below 94%.
If you don’t meet this line yet, VA can’t service-connect hearing loss, though it can still service-connect tinnitus, and you can file again if a later test crosses it.
Table VI: Turning Your Test Into a Roman Numeral
Find your speech discrimination score in the left column, then move across to your puretone threshold average. Where they meet is that ear’s numeral. Each ear is scored separately.
| Speech score | PTA 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 |
Notice how much the speech score drives the result. With a speech score of 92% or better, even a puretone average in the 70s only gets you to II. Drop the speech score into the 60s and the same puretone average jumps to VII.
Table VII: Your Hearing Loss Rating
Once each ear has a numeral, Table VII gives the percentage. Read across from your better ear (the lower numeral) to the column for your poorer ear.
| Better ear ↓ / Poorer ear → | XI | X | IX | VIII | VII | VI | V | IV | III | II | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 10% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| II | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | — |
| III | 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 0% | — | — |
| IV | 30% | 30% | 30% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 10% | 10% | — | — | — |
| V | 40% | 40% | 40% | 30% | 30% | 20% | 20% | — | — | — | — |
| VI | 50% | 50% | 40% | 40% | 30% | 30% | — | — | — | — | — |
| VII | 60% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 40% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VIII | 70% | 60% | 50% | 50% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IX | 80% | 70% | 60% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| X | 90% | 80% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| XI | 100% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Source: Table VII, 38 CFR 4.85. A 100% rating for two ears at XI also triggers a review for special monthly compensation for deafness.
Read the bottom row. If your better ear is a I, your rating is 0% no matter how bad the other ear is, until the poorer ear reaches X or XI, and even then it’s only 10%. If your better ear is a II, the most you can get is 10%. The rating only starts to climb when both ears are damaged.
Two Worked Examples
Example 1: a 0% rating with real hearing loss. Your right ear has a puretone average of 46 and a speech score of 92%. Table VI gives that ear a I. Your left ear averages 60 with a speech score of 84%, which Table VI makes a III. On Table VII, a better ear of I and a poorer ear of III is 0%. You have measurable loss in both ears and a service-connected rating of zero.
Example 2: a 20% rating. Your right ear averages 60 with a 76% speech score: a IV. Your left ear averages 68 with a 72% speech score: a VI. On Table VII, better ear IV and poorer ear VI is 20%, which pays $356.66 a month on its own for 2026.
Why Most Hearing Loss Ratings Are 0% or 10%
VA’s fiscal 2025 benefits report shows how this plays out. Of 5.5 million service-connected auditory disabilities, which are almost all tinnitus and hearing loss, 25.3% are rated 0% and 69.1% are rated 10%. Fewer than 6% are rated 20% or higher.
The tables are designed around average loss of earning capacity, and VA’s position is that moderate hearing loss doesn’t cost most people much in wages. Three features of the system push ratings down:
- The better ear controls. Table VII is weighted toward your better ear. One badly damaged ear and one decent ear is almost always 0% or 10%.
- High frequencies get diluted. Noise damage from weapons, engines and flight lines usually hits 3000 to 6000 Hertz first. VA averages in 1000 and 2000 Hertz, where many veterans still hear well, and ignores 6000 and 8000 entirely.
- Speech tests are done in a quiet booth. The Maryland CNC is a recorded word list in a sound-treated room. Many veterans score well there and still can’t follow a conversation in a crowded room.
VA has addressed the last point directly. In a 2022 proposed rule, it cited the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decision in Doucette v. Shulkin (2017), which held that difficulty hearing in crowds, on the phone or with the TV is already built into the hearing loss criteria. So describing those everyday struggles won’t raise a hearing loss rating by itself. What can help is a symptom that goes beyond ordinary hearing loss, such as dizziness or balance problems, which VA rates under its own diagnostic codes.
If Only One Ear Is Service-Connected
When VA service-connects hearing loss in one ear only, it treats the other ear as a I for Table VII, no matter how it actually tests. The best a single ear can get that way is 10%. There’s one exception under 38 CFR 3.383: if your service-connected ear is rated 10% or more on its own and your other ear has hearing loss that meets the 3.385 definition, VA pays as if both ears were service-connected.
Exceptional Patterns That Raise the Rating
38 CFR 4.86 gives two hearing patterns a better shot, because the speech test tends to underrate them. Each ear is checked separately.
- Severe loss across the board. If your threshold is 55 decibels or worse at all four frequencies (1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz), VA scores that ear on both Table VI and Table VIa and uses whichever numeral is higher.
- A steep drop at 2000 Hertz. If your threshold is 30 decibels or better at 1000 Hertz and 70 or worse at 2000 Hertz, VA takes the higher numeral from Table VI or VIa and then raises it one more step.
Table VIa uses only the puretone average:
| Puretone average | 0–41 | 42–48 | 49–55 | 56–62 | 63–69 | 70–76 | 77–83 | 84–90 | 91–97 | 98–104 | 105+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numeral | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI |
Here’s how the second pattern plays out. An ear tests at 25 decibels at 1000 Hertz, 70 at 2000, 75 at 3000 and 82 at 4000, for an average of 63, with an 88% speech score. Table VI gives a III. Table VIa gives a V for an average of 63. VA takes the V, then raises it to VI. That one rule can move an ear three steps. If your audiogram fits either pattern and the decision doesn’t mention 4.86, raise it.
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Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Tinnitus is rated on its own under diagnostic code 6260 at a flat 10%, and you get only one 10% rating whether you hear it in one ear, both ears or your head. VA lets you combine it with a hearing loss rating. Our tinnitus VA disability guide covers that claim in full.
VA combines ratings with its combined ratings table rather than adding them, but two 10% ratings still come out to 20%: 10% of the remaining 90% is 9, for a combined value of 19, which rounds up to 20%. So a veteran with 10% hearing loss and 10% tinnitus is paid at the 20% rate, $356.66 a month in 2026.
Tinnitus is the single most common service-connected disability, with 3,583,295 veterans compensated for it in fiscal 2025, according to VA’s Annual Benefits Report. Its link to hearing loss is also the subject of a pending rule change. The 2022 proposal would delete the standalone tinnitus code and rate tinnitus as part of the condition causing it. Under that proposal, tinnitus with hearing loss would add 10% only when the hearing loss itself is rated 0%. VA said the change would not affect veterans already service-connected for tinnitus. As of October 2026 it is still a proposal: the current rating schedule keeps code 6260 at 10%.
Free VA Hearing Aids, Even at 0%
For many veterans this is the most valuable part of a hearing loss claim. Under 38 CFR 17.149, VA furnishes hearing aids to veterans with service-connected hearing loss rated 0% when the loss affects their ability to communicate. VA also furnishes them to several other groups, including:
- Veterans with any compensable service-connected disability, even one that has nothing to do with hearing
- Former prisoners of war and Purple Heart recipients
- Veterans receiving VA pension with aid and attendance or housebound benefits
- Veterans whose hearing loss comes from another condition VA is treating them for, or from that treatment
- Veterans whose hearing is so poor that they can’t take part in their own medical care without aids
The catch is that you have to be enrolled in VA health care to get them; the rule applies only to veterans already receiving VA care. If you aren’t enrolled, our VA health care enrollment guide explains how, or you can apply on VA Form 10-10EZ. Then ask your VA primary care team for an audiology referral.
Proving Your Hearing Loss Is Service-Connected
A grant needs the same three things as any VA claim: a current diagnosis that meets 38 CFR 3.385, an in-service event, and a medical link between the two. For hearing loss, the in-service event is usually noise exposure, and the evidence often looks like this:
- Your military job and unit. Your DD-214 and personnel records showing a job or unit around weapons, aircraft, engines, generators, artillery or heavy equipment.
- In-service hearing tests. Entrance, annual and separation audiograms. A worsening threshold during service is strong evidence even if you never reached VA’s disability line while in uniform.
- Statements. Your own account of the noise and what you noticed, plus buddy statements from people who served with you.
- A current audiogram that meets the 3.385 definition, from the VA exam or a private audiologist.
Normal hearing at separation doesn’t end the claim. The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims held in Hensley v. Brown (1993) that hearing loss first meeting VA’s definition after service can still be service-connected with evidence of in-service noise exposure and a medical link. Sensorineural hearing loss is also on VA’s list of chronic diseases, so it can be presumed service-connected if it reaches at least 10% within one year of discharge.
How to File a Hearing Loss Claim
- Lock in your date. Submit an intent to file. You then have a year to file, and if VA grants the claim, payments can go back to the intent-to-file date.
- Gather records. Request your service treatment records, including every audiogram, and your personnel file. Add any private hearing tests.
- File the claim on VA Form 21-526EZ online. Claim hearing loss and tinnitus separately if you have both; they are rated under different codes.
- Go to the exam. VA will schedule an audiology exam. More on that below.
- Review the decision. Check both ears’ numbers, whether 4.86 applied and whether tinnitus was decided.
Step-by-step help with the forms is in our guide to how to file a VA disability claim, and free accredited help is covered in VA disability claim assistance.
What to Expect at the C&P Audiology Exam
The hearing exam is one of the more predictable C&P exams. Expect a sound booth, headphones, tones for the puretone test, then a recorded word list. The audiologist will also ask about your noise exposure in and out of service and about tinnitus. Our VA C&P exam guide covers the general process.
- Answer honestly and don’t guess. Respond when you actually hear the tone. Pressing for tones you didn’t hear, or not pressing for ones you did, can make the results inconsistent, and inconsistent speech scores let the examiner fall back on puretone-only testing or ask for a retest.
- Leave your hearing aids out for the testing; the rule requires it.
- Describe your noise exposure specifically: the weapons, aircraft or equipment, how often, and whether hearing protection was available or used.
- Mention tinnitus even if you didn’t list it on your claim. The examiner’s notes can support a tinnitus claim later.
Secondary Conditions and Getting a Higher Rating
Hearing loss can be the starting point for other claims. Tinnitus is the obvious one. Dizziness or balance problems with an ear diagnosis are rated under their own codes and combine with hearing loss. Some veterans also claim depression or anxiety caused by hearing loss and tinnitus; any secondary claim needs a medical opinion connecting the two. Our VA secondary conditions guide explains how those claims work.
Hearing usually gets worse with age, and VA rates you on your hearing at the time of the exam. If a new audiogram shows a bigger loss, especially a lower speech score, you can file for an increase; our guide to a VA disability rating increase covers how. To see what a new combined rating would pay, use our VA disability compensation calculator.
| Rating | Monthly pay, veteran alone (2026) |
|---|---|
| 0% | $0 (still qualifies for VA hearing aids) |
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
Rates effective December 1, 2025, from VA.gov. From 30% up, dependents raise the amount.
RELATED READING
Tinnitus VA Disability: The 10% Rating and How to Claim It →
The most common VA disability, and the claim that pairs with hearing loss.
VA Health Care Enrollment: How to Sign Up →
Enrollment is the step that unlocks VA hearing aids and audiology care.
How VA scores conditions and combines ratings into one percentage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because VA’s tables need a significant loss in both ears, especially in speech scores, before a rating becomes payable. Each ear gets a Roman numeral from Table VI based on its speech score and puretone average, and Table VII weighs your better ear heavily. If your better ear is a I, the rating stays at 0% unless the other ear reaches X or XI. A 0% rating still makes your hearing loss service-connected, which qualifies you for VA hearing aids and lets you file for an increase if your hearing gets worse.
Yes. Under 38 CFR 17.149, VA furnishes hearing aids for service-connected hearing loss rated 0% when the loss affects your ability to communicate. You do have to be enrolled in VA health care. Veterans with any compensable service-connected rating, former POWs, Purple Heart recipients and several other groups also qualify for hearing aids even if their hearing loss isn’t service-connected.
Yes, under the current rules. Tinnitus is rated separately at 10% under diagnostic code 6260 and combined with your hearing loss rating. A 10% hearing loss rating plus 10% tinnitus combines to 20%. A 2022 proposed rule would fold tinnitus into the hearing loss rating instead, but as of October 2026 it has not been finalized, and VA said it would not affect veterans already service-connected for tinnitus.
Yes. Hearing loss that first meets VA’s definition years after service can still be service-connected if you show noise exposure in service and a medical opinion links the two. Your military job, unit records and any in-service audiograms showing a shift in your hearing all help, even if your separation test was within normal limits.
VA treats your other ear as a I, so the best a single service-connected ear can usually get is 10%. The exception is 38 CFR 3.383: if your service-connected ear is rated at least 10% on its own and your other ear has hearing loss meeting VA’s 3.385 definition, VA pays as if both ears were service-connected.
The schedule goes up to 100%, for a numeral of XI in both ears, and that level also triggers a review for special monthly compensation for deafness. Ratings above 50% need severe loss in both ears. Across all hearing-related disabilities, which include tinnitus, VA’s fiscal 2025 data shows 94% of ratings at 0% or 10%.
This guide is provided by USMilitary.org, an independent educational resource. We are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency, and this is not legal or medical advice. Rating rules and pay rates change; confirm current details with VA or an accredited veterans service officer before you rely on them.
