VA Disability Calculator — Combined Ratings, the VA Way
Enter each service-connected disability rating and get your combined rating using the VA’s official whole-person formula — then see the estimated 2025 monthly compensation for a veteran with no dependents.
Your disability ratings
🔒 All calculations happen in your browser — no data leaves your device.
Your combined rating
Your rating on the scale
The teal bar is your exact combined percentage; the gold marker is where the VA rounds it. It redraws from your inputs.
- The VA never simply adds ratings: combined = 1 − (1 − a) × (1 − b) × …, each rating applied only to the efficiency that remains.
- Only the final combined figure rounds, to the nearest 10% — 50% and 30% combine to 65%, which rounds to a 70% VA rating.
- At the defaults the combined rating is 70%, worth $1,716.28 a month on the official 2025 table for a veteran alone with no dependents.
Keep exploring
Three companion tools for pay, benefits, and planning.
How it works
Three steps from individual ratings to your combined VA rating.
Enter each rating
Type the percentage the VA assigned to each service-connected condition — up to five ratings.
Combine, don’t add
Each rating applies only to the healthy percentage left over, exactly like the VA’s whole-person method.
Round and look up pay
The combined value rounds to the nearest 10%, and that rating maps to the 2025 monthly compensation table.
The math behind combined VA ratings
The VA never simply adds ratings together. Each disability is applied to the share of the person that is still “efficient” (healthy), largest rating first. Two 50% ratings are not 100% disabled — the second 50% only halves what remains, giving 75% combined.
Worked examples:
| Ratings | Calculation | Combined → VA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 50% and 30% | 1 − (0.50 × 0.70) = 1 − 0.35 | 65% → 70% |
| 10% and 10% | 1 − (0.90 × 0.90) = 1 − 0.81 | 19% → 20% |
| 30%, 20%, and 10% | 1 − (0.70 × 0.80 × 0.90) = 1 − 0.504 | 49.6% → 50% |
| 100% and 50% | 1 − (0 × 0.50) = 1 − 0 | 100% → 100% |
2025 monthly compensation — veteran alone, no dependents (official US VA schedule):
| VA rating | Monthly pay | VA rating | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $171.23 | 60% | $1,361.88 |
| 20% | $338.49 | 70% | $1,716.28 |
| 30% | $524.31 | 80% | $1,995.01 |
| 40% | $755.28 | 90% | $2,241.91 |
| 50% | $1,075.16 | 100% | $3,737.85 |
Go deeper
Why VA math surprises people — and what this estimate leaves out.
The VA treats you as a whole person who starts at 100% efficiency. A 50% disability leaves 50% efficiency; the next rating is a percentage of that remainder, not of the whole:
- Highest rating first: the VA applies the largest disability, then the next largest, and so on.
- Shrinking base: a 30% rating on a 50%-efficient person adds only 15 points (30% of 50), not 30.
- The ceiling effect: at 90% combined, even another 30% condition adds just 3 points — 30% of the 10% that remains.
- One rounding, at the end: intermediate values are never rounded; only the final combined figure rounds to the nearest 10%.
This is why two veterans whose ratings “add up” to the same total can end up with different combined ratings — the order and the remainders decide.
This calculator uses the base 2025 rate for a veteran alone. Real VA payments can be higher because of:
- Dependents: at ratings of 30% or higher, a spouse, children, or dependent parents add monthly amounts.
- The bilateral factor: paired conditions (for example, both knees) get a small extra factor before combining — not modeled here.
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): extra pay for severe disabilities such as loss of use or housebound status.
- TDIU: Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability can pay at the 100% rate even below a 100% combined rating.
- Future COLA: rates adjust most years; this page uses the 2025 schedule.
For your exact amount, check the official VA rate tables or speak with an accredited VSO or veterans law attorney.
New guide: VA Disability Ratings Explained: Combined Ratings, Percentages, and How Compensation Works
A veteran with ratings of 50% and 30% does not have an 80% combined rating.
Ratings are combined, not added. Each rating applies to the efficiency that remains after the higher ratings: 50% plus 30% combines to 65%, which rounds to a 70% combined rating. The full guide, VA Disability Ratings Explained: Combined Ratings, Percentages, and How Compensation Works, works through the method in detail, with worked examples and the cases that most often go wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about this VA disability calculator.
How does the VA combine disability ratings?
With whole-person math: combined = 1 − (1 − a) × (1 − b) × …, applying the largest rating first. Each rating only reduces the efficiency that remains, so 50% + 30% combines to 65% — not 80% — and then rounds to a 70% VA rating.
Why doesn’t the VA just add my ratings together?
Because no one can be more than 100% disabled. Adding would let combined ratings pass 100%, so the VA instead measures how much of the whole person each condition takes from what is left — the same reason two 50% ratings combine to 75%, not 100%.
How does VA rounding work?
Only the final combined percentage is rounded, to the nearest 10%. Values ending in 5 or more round up, 4 or less round down: 65% becomes 70%, 49.6% becomes 50%, and 19% becomes 20%. Your pay is based on the rounded rating.
How much does a 70% VA rating pay in 2025?
On the official 2025 VA schedule, a veteran alone with no dependents at 70% receives $1,716.28 per month — $20,595.36 per year. With a spouse or other dependents the monthly amount is higher.
Does this calculator include dependents or extra benefits?
No. The pay shown is the base 2025 rate for a veteran alone with no dependents. It does not add dependent amounts, the bilateral factor, Special Monthly Compensation, or TDIU — all of which can raise a real payment.
Is this an official VA calculator?
No. CalcFolk is an independent site. This tool reproduces the VA’s published combined-ratings formula and 2025 compensation table to give you a quick estimate — it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and it is not legal or benefits advice.
Why don’t my VA ratings add up?
Because the VA combines ratings with the whole-person method in 38 CFR 4.25. Each rating applies only to the efficiency remaining after the higher ratings. A 50% rating and a 30% rating combine to 65, which rounds to 70% — not 80%.
What is the bilateral factor?
When qualifying disabilities affect both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, the VA combines the paired ratings first and adds 10% of that combined value before combining with the other ratings. It is 10% of the paired value, not 10 extra percentage points.
What dollar amount does my combined rating pay?
That depends on the current VA compensation rate table, which is adjusted annually for the cost of living effective December 1. This article does not print dollar figures because secondary tables disagree and go stale. Read the current table at VA.gov for your combined rating and household.
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🎖️VA Disability Ratings Explained: Combined Ratings, Percentages, and How Compensation Works
The VA does not add ratings together. This guide explains the whole-person method, the bilateral factor, rounding, and what your combined ra
Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates for information only, using the VA’s published combined-ratings formula (38 CFR §4.25) and the official 2025 VA compensation rates for a veteran alone with no dependents. It is not legal advice, benefits advice, or an official VA tool, and it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Actual ratings and payments depend on your individual case, dependents, and special circumstances. For an exact determination, consult va.gov, an accredited veterans service organization (VSO), or a veterans law attorney.