VA Combined Rating
Calculator
Two 50% ratings do not make 100%. This runs the real Combined Ratings Table from 38 CFR § 4.25 — including the bilateral factor and the whole-number rounding at every step that most calculators skip — and shows you each step.
Add each rated condition.
Enter the percentage the VA assigned to each service-connected condition, and tag the body location so the bilateral factor can be applied correctly.
2 conditions affecting both legs combined to 44, then 10% of that (4.4) was added and rounded to 48. That value is treated as a single disability for ordering and all further combinations.
Step by step, the way the VA does it
| Step | Rating | Efficiency left | Exact | Table value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left knee strain | 30% | 100% | 30.00 | 30 |
| Right knee strain | 20% | 70% | 44.00 | 44 |
| Bilateral factor — add 10% (§ 4.26) | +4.4 | — | 48.40 | 48 |
| PTSD | 50% | 100% | 50.00 | 50 |
| Bilateral group (2 conditions, factor applied) | 48% | 50% | 74.00 | 74 |
| Tinnitus | 10% | 26% | 76.60 | 77 |
| Convert to nearest degree of 10 (5 rounds up) | — | — | 77 | 80% |
Take the math with you.
Download a live Excel workbook: change any rating and the ordering, the bilateral factor, the combination chain, the final rating and the pay lookup all recalculate. Includes the full 2026 rate table and a notes sheet.
What this tool is, and what it is not
This is an educational estimate, not a VA decision. The individual percentage for each condition is assigned by a VA rater under the Schedule for Rating Disabilities ↗ after reviewing your medical evidence. This tool only combines percentages you already have.
Not covered here
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) — extra payments for things like loss of use of a limb or aid and attendance. SMC rates ↗
- TDIU — Individual Unemployability pays at the 100% rate at a lower schedular rating when service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment. TDIU ↗
- Aid and Attendance and housebound benefits, and children over 18 in an approved school program.
- Conditions rated 0% — service connected but non-compensable. They do not raise your combined rating.
- The § 4.26 exception allowing bilateral disabilities to be combined separately when that is more favorable to the veteran — a rater judgment this tool does not make.
Do not enter overlapping conditions
The VA prohibits pyramiding — rating the same symptom under more than one diagnostic code (38 CFR § 4.14 ↗). If you enter two conditions that describe the same underlying impairment, this tool will return a higher number than the VA would assign.
Sources
38 CFR § 4.25 — Combined ratings table ↗38 CFR § 4.26 — Bilateral factor ↗VA compensation rates ↗File or check a VA claim ↗
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