VA Disability Rating for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law
Hearing loss and tinnitus are some of the most common disabilities among veterans, negatively impacting the lives of millions every day. If you are suffering from hearing loss and/or tinnitus due to your military service, you may qualify for disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Read on to learn how to establish service connection and earn a VA disability rating for hearing loss or tinnitus.
Key points of this article include:
- Veterans are substantially more likely to suffer from hearing loss and/or tinnitus than the civilian population. This is likely because veterans are more likely to encounter dangerously loud noise, like gunfire, explosions, and heavy machinery, that affects their ability to hear.
- Hearing loss can affect one ear (unilateral hearing loss) or both ears (bilateral hearing loss). If both of a veteran’s ears are affected, it is possible to receive a VA bilateral hearing loss rating.
- To receive a hearing loss VA rating, veterans typically must submit to two medical tests: the Maryland CNC Test and the Puretone Audiometric Test, which measure hearing ability.
What Is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss can affect a person in varying degrees of severity. It can be partial or total, gradual or sudden, and temporary or permanent. Additionally, hearing loss can also affect one ear (i.e., unilateral) or both ears (i.e., bilateral).
Hearing loss is categorized into three main types:
- Conductive – involves the outer or middle ear.
- Sensorineural – involves the inner ear.
- Mixed – a combination of the two.
In general, hearing loss may cause a variety of symptoms, such as:
- Muffling of speech and other sounds
- Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd
- Trouble hearing consonants
- Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly, and loudly
- Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
- Withdrawal from conversations
- Avoidance of some social settings
Hearing loss can significantly impact a person’s quality of life and daily functioning. It is important for those with hearing loss to receive a diagnosis and seek treatment from a health professional.
Common Causes of Service-Connected Hearing Loss or Tinnitus
Here are several of the most common causes of service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus, in our experience:
- Damage to the inner ear: Exposure to loud noise over the veteran’s time in service may cause wear and tear on the nerve cells in the ear that send sound signals to the brain. When these nerve cells are damaged, hearing loss occurs.
- Gradual buildup of earwax: Earwax can block the ear canal and prevent the conduction of sound waves. This cause tends to produce a more temporary problem, as earwax removal can help restore hearing.
- Ear infection and abnormal bone growths/tumors: Infections or abnormal growths in the outer or middle ear.
- Ruptured eardrum (i.e., tympanic membrane perforation): Loud blasts of noise, sudden changes in pressure, and poking the eardrum with an object can all cause an eardrum to rupture and subsequently affect hearing.
There are also certain medical conditions that can lead to hearing loss, including acoustic neuroma, perilymphatic fistula, vertigo, diabetes, hypertension, or Meniere’s disease.
What Is Bilateral Hearing Loss?
Bilateral hearing loss is hearing loss that affects both of a veteran’s ears, rather than just one or the other.
If a veteran suffers hearing loss in both ears, then it is likely that they will receive a higher VA rating than if their condition affected just one ear.
What Is Tinnitus?
“Tinnitus refers to the perception of a ringing or buzzing noise in one or both ears, often associated with hearing loss,” says Jenna Zellmer, a partner at CCK Law. “It can be extremely irritating and distracting. Usually, symptoms are more pronounced at night, mostly because it’s quieter and veterans are sleeping. They might not notice their symptoms during the day or until after service, but at nighttime, they really come into focus.”
Most often, tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as hearing loss, an ear injury, or a circulatory system disorder. Common symptoms include phantom noises in the ears such as ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, hissing, and humming.
Such phantom noises may vary in pitch from low to high and can occur in one or both ears. In some cases, the noise can be so loud that it interferes with an individual’s ability to concentrate or hear external sounds. Furthermore, tinnitus may be consistent, or it may come and go.
Types of Tinnitus
There are two main types of tinnitus, one of which is significantly more common than the other:
- Subjective tinnitus – Tinnitus that only the veteran can hear, and is the most common type of tinnitus. It can be caused by (1) problems in the outer, middle, or inner ear; (2) problems with the auditory nerves; or (3) problems with the part of the brain that interprets nerve signals as sound (i.e., auditory pathways).
- Objective tinnitus – Tinnitus that the doctor can hear when they perform an examination. This type is extremely rare. It can be caused by (1) a blood vessel problem, (2) a middle ear bone condition, or (3) muscle contractions.
Some common causes of tinnitus among the general population include earwax blockage, Meniere’s disease (i.e., an inner ear disorder that may be caused by abnormal inner ear fluid pressure), and age-related hearing loss.
How Are Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Connected?
Many individuals who have tinnitus also experience some form of hearing loss. This is especially true if a person’s hearing loss was caused by a traumatic experience or exposure to loud noise. Additionally, sensorineural hearing loss is often accompanied by tinnitus.
Some researchers also believe that subjective tinnitus cannot exist without some form of hearing loss or damage to the auditory system. However, the exact connection between hearing loss and tinnitus is still being investigated by experts.
Why Are Veterans Prone to Both Tinnitus and Hearing Loss?
According to at least one Veterans Affairs study, more than 3.6 million veterans currently receive VA disability benefits for hearing loss or tinnitus. There are likely even more veterans suffering from this condition who are not receiving compensation.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that veterans are 30 percent more likely than non-veterans to have severe hearing impairment. In fact, those who served after 9/11 may be four times more likely to have some hearing loss compared to their civilian counterparts.
There are several risk factors associated with military service that can lead to hearing loss or tinnitus, including:
- Gunfire, artillery fire, and explosions – Exposure to loud noises like gunfire or explosions can damage the nerve cells of the ear or even rupture the eardrum entirely, leading to hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Vehicle engines and mechanical equipment – For veterans who spend long periods working near aircraft engines or heavy machinery, the noise this equipment produces can lead to lasting hearing problems.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – Some veterans may experience traumatic brain injuries as a result of combat or in-service accidents. Depending on the nature of the TBI, the auditory nerves in the head may be damaged, leading to hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Ear infections, tumors, or bone growths – While deployed, some veterans may find themselves exposed to viruses or bacteria that cause ear conditions, which can damage hearing. If they are in the field and lack access to proper medical care, medical issues like these can worsen and become more pronounced.
Veterans may develop both tinnitus and some level of hearing loss due to an in-service event or a service-connected condition. If this is the case, they can file a VA disability claim for compensation. After filing a claim, they may potentially earn a VA disability rating for tinnitus and hearing loss.
How to Establish Service Connection for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
In order to qualify for a VA disability rating for hearing loss and tinnitus, veterans first need to demonstrate that their condition is linked to their time in military service. This process is known as establishing a service connection, and there are multiple methods available to do so.
Direct Service Connection for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Direct service connection is when a veteran can prove that their hearing loss or tinnitus was directly caused or worsened by their military service. To qualify, veterans must generally establish three key elements:
- A current diagnosis of hearing loss and/or tinnitus by a medical professional;
- An in-service event, injury, or illness that led to the hearing loss and/or tinnitus; and
- A medical nexus, or link, between the in-service event and current disability, typically provided by a medical professional and indicating that the condition is “at least as likely as not” caused by the in-service event
Secondary Service Connection for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
If a veteran developed tinnitus secondary to service-connected hearing loss, they may qualify for secondary service connection. In fact, if a veteran develops hearing loss secondary to another service-connected condition, such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension, they may also be eligible for secondary service-connected compensation for hearing loss.
To establish secondary service connection, veterans must show evidence of the following:
- A current diagnosis of hearing loss and/or tinnitus by a medical professional; and
- A nexus linking the secondary condition to the primary service-connected condition.
Presumptive Service Connection for Hearing Loss
VA presumes certain medical conditions to be service related due to their high occurrence among veterans who served in specific regions or during particular time periods. For these presumptive conditions, veterans typically just need to prove they were in the specified location at the designated time to be declared eligible for disability benefits.
While VA does not have any presumptions for hearing loss or tinnitus, it once used a guide known as the “Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing” to a similar effect.
The Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing was a list for VA rating officials to use to determine whether a veteran’s hearing loss, tinnitus, or ear conditions could be considered service connected even if it developed more than a year after discharge.
Essentially, the list goes through every military occupational specialty (MOS) and rates it according to the likelihood of that MOS being exposed to noise that could result in long-term hearing impairments. If the rating is moderate or high, then the rating officials are supposed to grant service connection.
Importantly, this list was merely a suggestion for rating officials to follow when making determinations. Moreover, VA no longer has it officially published.
However, it is still the standard used by rating officials when deciding on hearing loss and ear condition claims based on MOS noise exposure.
What Evidence Does VA Look for When Assigning Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Ratings?
To diagnose hearing loss, veterans must undergo a hearing exam by a licensed audiologist. The audiologist must administer two separate tests in order for VA to accept a current diagnosis of hearing loss:
- Maryland CNC Test: This test uses a 50-word test that scores how well a veteran recognizes speech. VA uses the results of this test to determine if a veteran’s hearing loss qualifies for disability and, if so, to rate the severity of their condition.
- Puretone Audiometric Test: This test determines a veteran’s level of general hearing loss by measuring the faintest tones they can pick up on. This test has the veteran wear a set of headphones and raise their hands when they hear a beep.
Again, VA requires these specific tests to establish a diagnosis of hearing loss for compensation purposes. A diagnosis of hearing loss from a primary care doctor will not count towards a VA claim.
Importantly, veterans should remove hearing aids before both tests to ensure the results show their ability without assistive devices.
Additional Evidence to Support Your Hearing Loss Claim
In addition to the two separate hearing tests required by VA, veterans can use other evidence to strengthen their claim for hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
- Service records – for example, to show regular or prolonged noise exposure during training exercises or in combat.
- Medical records – to establish that the veteran did not have hearing-related issues prior to their military service.
- Lay evidence, or buddy statements
- Statements from doctors – can establish when the veteran began complaining of their tinnitus or hearing loss, and treatments to mitigate the symptoms.
- A medical nexus opinion from an expert – can opine as to the cause of tinnitus or hearing loss.
- A list of medical accommodations the veteran requires – such as hearing aids or an amplification system for a veteran’s home phone, to prove how their condition affects their everyday life.
It can be difficult establishing service connection for hearing loss or tinnitus if a veteran has been discharged from service for 12 months or more.
By submitting some or all of the above evidence, however, veterans can provide a timeline for VA and make it clear just how long their condition has been impacting their life. After all, VA must consider all this evidence when adjudicating a claim for hearing loss.
Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exam for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
When a veteran files a claim, VA will likely schedule them for a Compensation & Pension examination (C&P exam). For hearing loss and tinnitus, these exams are usually conducted by a state-licensed audiologist and help VA determine firsthand the severity of a veteran’s symptoms and whether there is a service connection. They also make it easier to subsequently assign a hearing loss VA rating.
A veteran going in for a C&P exam for hearing loss or tinnitus might experience the following:
- Oftentimes, the VA examiner will start the exam by reviewing the veteran’s claims file with the veteran. They then may perform a basic physical to evaluate the veteran’s overall health.
- The most important portion of the exam will be when the examiner conducts two hearing tests: the Maryland CNC Test and the Puretone Audiometric Test. Even if a veteran had previously undergone these tests for their initial diagnosis of hearing loss or tinnitus, VA will require them to retest during their C&P exam.
- At some point, the examiner will question the veteran about how their hearing loss or tinnitus impacts their quality of life. It is important for veterans to be open and honest about the extent to which their hearing loss is affecting them, how long it has been affecting them, and when they first noticed it.
- Along the way, the examiner will also check a series of boxes that fit the description of the veteran’s condition and opine on whether their in-service incident is the cause of the hearing loss.
Veterans should be aware that such reliance on the passage of time is not something that, on its own, can preclude the possibility that their hearing loss is due to their service. If this is the case and they receive an unfavorable opinion, veterans have the right to submit evidence and arguments rebutting the examiner’s conclusions.
For example, you can submit lay testimony as you are competent to describe your own symptomatology. Family members can also submit lay evidence or buddy statements describing the need to speak loudly, constantly repeat things, or any other hearing-related issues they have witnessed you experience since service.
VA Disability Ratings for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Hearing Loss VA Ratings
Once service connection is established, VA assigns a disability rating for hearing loss based on the severity of the veteran’s hearing dysfunction. Veterans most often receive a 10 percent VA disability rating for hearing loss; however, receiving up to a 100 percent rating is possible.
VA rates hearing loss using two rating tables: the Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based on Puretone Threshold Average and Speech Discrimination table, and the Percentage Evaluation for Hearing Impairment table.
Using the Numeric Designation Table
The first table is the Numeric Designation table, which is used to classify the severity of a veteran’s hearing loss based on the results of their Maryland CNC and Puretone Audiometric tests.
To use this table, perform the following steps:
- First, find your test results for your Maryland CNC Test (which measures speech discrimination) and your Puretone Audiometric Test (which measures Puretone threshold average, or PTA).
- Next, apply your test results to the table above. You may notice that the horizontal rows of the table correspond with the results of your Maryland CNC Test, while the vertical columns correspond with your PTA results.
- Find the horizontal and vertical rows that correspond to your test results. Where those rows intersect will determine the Roman numeral used to measure your level of hearing impairment for that ear. The higher the Roman numeral, the more severe your hearing loss.
For example:
- For their right ear, a veteran receives a score of 54 on their Maryland CNC Test (measuring speech discrimination) and a score of 72 on their Puretone Audiometric Test (measuring PTA).
- Applying these numbers to the table above, the veteran’s score of 54 would put them into the sixth row from the top when it comes to speech discrimination on the horizontal axis. Similarly, their score of 72 would put them in the fifth column from the left for their PTA on the vertical axis.
- These rows intersect at a cell toward the middle of the table containing the Roman numeral VIII. Therefore, VIII will be their level of hearing impairment for their right ear.
- The veteran should then repeat this process for the test results of their left ear.
After the veteran determines the Roman numeral rating for both of their ears, they can move on to the next table: the Percentage Evaluation for Hearing Impairment Table.
Using the Percentage Evaluation for Hearing Impairment Table
This table allows veterans to combine the level of hearing impairment for each of their ears (i.e., the Roman numerals from the first table) together. This final combined percentage will serve as their overall hearing loss VA rating.
To use this table, perform the following steps:
- First, determine which ear functions better than the other (this will be the ear with the smaller Roman numeral designation). This ear will correspond to the bar on the left side of the table, which covers the horizontal rows.
- Your remaining, less-functional ear (with the larger Roman numeral designation) will instead correspond to the bar running across the top or bottom of the table, which covers the vertical columns.
- On the table, find the horizontal row that corresponds to the Roman numeral that your better ear scored. Then find the vertical column that corresponds to the Roman numeral your poorer ear scored.
- Where these two rows intersect will be your final hearing loss VA rating percentage.
For example:
- Continuing from the last example, say a veteran receives a Roman numeral score of VIII for their right ear and a score of III for their left ear.
- Since their left ear has the lower Roman numeral, it is the better functioning ear and will therefore be judged using the horizontal rows on the table. Because the veteran’s right ear is worse off, it will be judged using the vertical columns.
- Next, the veteran should apply their Roman numeral scores to the table itself. The Roman numeral III corresponds to the third horizontal row from the bottom of the table, while the numeral VIII corresponds to the fourth vertical column from the left of the table.
- These two rows intersect at a cell with the number 20 inside. Therefore, the veteran will earn a hearing loss VA rating of 20 percent and accompanying compensation.
Understanding the Overall Hearing Loss VA Rating
If the tables above are used correctly, then both ears will have been rated together, resulting in only one overall hearing loss VA rating. While it is possible this rating will range from 20 to 100 percent, most often, veterans end up receiving a 10 percent rating.
“It is possible for veterans to receive up to a 100 percent disability rating for their hearing loss,” says Kaitlyn Degnan, an associate attorney at CCK Law. “However, this is very uncommon. That’s because it can be very difficult to show entitlement to a higher rating, since the disability ratings for hearing loss are based on very specific audiometric tests. This means the rating schedule is strictly applied, with very little room for variation.”
Tinnitus VA Rating
VA rates tinnitus under 38 C.F.R. § 4.87, Schedule of Ratings – Ear, Diagnostic Code 6260. The condition of tinnitus is typically assigned a 10 percent disability rating. Importantly, this singular 10 percent disability rating takes both ears into account.
Tinnitus is the most claimed disability for VA compensation. However, the current consensus in the medical community is that there are many options to reduce tinnitus symptoms. Therefore, veterans rarely receive a rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus.
VA Compensation for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Once VA has assigned a veteran a disability rating greater than zero percent, the veteran becomes eligible for monthly compensation.
As of 2025, the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:
- 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
- 10 percent disability rating: $175.51 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $346.95 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $537.42 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $774.16 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $1,102.04 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,395.93 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,759.19 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $2,044.89 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $2,297.96 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $3,831.30 per month
Veterans with combined ratings greater than 30 percent may qualify for extra monthly compensation if they have eligible dependents like a spouse or children.
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Loss of function in both ears may qualify certain veterans for Special Monthly Compensation (k), which amounts to extra compensation each month.
“If you have total hearing loss in both ears, you might be entitled to compensation through SMC,” says Alyse Phillips, a supervising attorney at CCK Law. “38 C.F.R. § 3.350 instructs VA to assign SMC(k) for loss of use of the sense of hearing, which is paid in addition to regular VA disability compensation.”
Can I Get Total Disability based on Unemployability for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus?
Yes, you can. Even if you do not have a combined 100 percent rating, if your service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus prevents you from working, you may be entitled to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU). However, it is reserved for veterans who find themselves almost completely unable to work due to their service-connected hearing loss.
For example, if you need a full range of hearing for your job (e.g., a truck driver), then having hearing loss or tinnitus may prevent you from working altogether. You can explain this issue to VA, and depending on your eligibility, you may qualify for TDIU.
Generally, there are two forms of TDIU: schedular and extraschedular.
- Schedular TDIU – Veterans must have one condition rated at 60 percent minimum OR two conditions that can be combined to reach 70 percent, where one condition is at a minimum 40 percent.
Extraschedular TDIU – Veterans who do not meet the necessary criteria for schedular TDIU may be eligible for extraschedular TDIU. For this form of TDIU, veterans must prove that their condition(s) uniquely hinder their ability to maintain substantially gainful employment.
Any ratings given for hearing loss, or a related condition, may help a veteran meet the criteria necessary for schedular TDIU. Additionally, veterans can also have multiple service-connected conditions where hearing impairment is only one of them, but the effects of hearing loss can be positive evidence in favor of entitlement to TDIU.
TDIU can be a complicated issue to navigate, however. If you believe you may qualify for TDIU, it may be worth it to enlist the aid of a VA-accredited attorney to help guide you through your TDIU claim. Consider reaching out to CCK Law for a free case evaluation.
Was Your Tinnitus or Hearing Loss VA Claim Denied or Underrated?
Hearing loss and tinnitus may be eligible for VA disability benefits, so if VA denied or underrated your claim for either of these conditions, Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help. The VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents at CCK Law have centuries of collective experience in veterans law and have helped veterans recover over $1 billion in wrongfully denied compensation.
Call CCK today at (800) 544-9144 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
