Use this free VA disability calculator to estimate your combined VA disability rating. Add each of your service-connected ratings, mark any that affect both arms or both legs, and the calculator applies the same combined-ratings method the Department of Veterans Affairs uses, including the bilateral factor and final rounding.
Add each service-connected rating. Tick “Both sides” for ratings that affect both arms or both legs.
Why VA ratings don’t simply add up
A 50% rating and a 30% rating do not make 80%. The VA uses a “whole person” method: it starts by treating you as 100% able-bodied, then applies each rating only to the part of you that is still considered non-disabled. Each new rating therefore adds a little less than its face value.
How the calculation works
- Sort your ratings from highest to lowest.
- Apply the highest rating to 100. A 50% rating leaves 50 “remaining efficiency”.
- Apply the next rating to what remains. 30% of the remaining 50 is 15, so the combined value becomes 65.
- Repeat for every rating.
- Round the final combined value to the nearest 10. Values ending in 5 round up, so 65 becomes 70%.
The bilateral factor
When disabilities affect both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, the VA first combines those ratings, then adds 10% of that combined value before combining the result with your other ratings. For example, knee ratings of 20% and 10% combine to 28. Ten percent of 28 is 2.8, giving 30.8, which is treated as 31 and then combined with the rest.
Worked example
A veteran has ratings of 50%, 30% and 20%. The 50% rating leaves 50. 30% of 50 is 15, giving 65. 20% of the remaining 35 is 7, giving 72. Rounded to the nearest 10, the combined VA rating is 70%.
Frequently asked questions
Can several ratings add up to 100%?
Each rating applies only to the remaining efficiency, so several partial ratings get closer to 100 without reaching it. A combined value of 95 or more rounds up to 100%. A single 100% rating also gives 100%, and total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is a separate route.
Does the order I enter ratings matter?
No. The calculator sorts them from highest to lowest automatically, as the VA does.
How much will I be paid?
Monthly compensation depends on your final rating and your dependents, and the VA updates the rates every year. Once you know your estimated rating, check the current compensation table on VA.gov.
Is this an official VA decision?
No. This tool estimates your rating from the published rules. Only the VA can assign your official rating.
Source: Combined ratings table and bilateral factor, 38 CFR §4.25 and §4.26 (VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities). Calculators Hub is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.