Conditions / Ear
38 CFR 4.87, diagnostic code 6260 · checked 2026-10-20
VA rating for Tinnitus
VA rates Tinnitus under diagnostic code 6260 (Tinnitus, recurrent) at a single level of 10%. That level pays $180.42 a month to a veteran alone at the rates effective December 1, 2025.
- 1Diagnostic code DC 6260
- 2Highest level 10% · $180.42
Rating criteria for DC 6260
| Rating | What the schedule requires |
|---|---|
| 10% | Recurrent tinnitus. |
Summarized from eCFR, 38 CFR 4.87 Schedule of ratings, ear, diagnostic code 6260, checked 2026-10-20. The regulation's own wording governs.
Notes in the schedule
- A separate tinnitus rating may be combined with a rating under 6100 (hearing loss), 6200, 6204 or another code, except when the tinnitus supports the rating under that code.
- Only one rating is assigned for recurrent tinnitus, whether it is heard in one ear, both ears or in the head.
- Objective tinnitus (sound audible to others with a definable cause) is not rated here; it is rated as part of the condition causing it.
What each level pays
| Level | Alone | With spouse |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 |
Every compensable level of this code is below 30%, so on its own it is paid at the flat 10% or 20% rate and dependents add nothing; combined with other ratings it can still lift the total past 30%.
How this rating fits a claim
No level of this code reaches the 40% that 38 CFR 4.16(a) looks for in one disability, so it adds to a combined rating rather than anchoring one. A rating under DC 6260 is combined with every other rating by Table I, never added; the calculator shows the result with your other ratings and dependents.
The rating is set from the evidence at the time of the decision, usually including a VA examination. If the condition has worsened since, VA accepts a claim for an increase on VA Form 21-526EZ; see how to request an increase.
Related conditions
- Vertigo (peripheral vestibular disorder) (DC 6204)
- Meniere's disease (DC 6205)
- PTSD (DC 9411)
- Degenerative arthritis (DC 5003)
- Shoulder replacement (DC 5051)
Pay at the top level: 10% VA pay.
Rating Ledger is not part of VA and does not file or decide claims. Amounts are VA's published monthly rates effective December 1, 2025 for a veteran, before any deduction or special monthly compensation; ratings follow 38 CFR 4.25 and 38 CFR 4.26 and 38 CFR 4.87, diagnostic code 6260. Last checked 2026-10-20. Only a VA rating decision sets a rating or a payment. See the methodology.