How much does VA disability pay each month?

VA disability compensation runs from $180.03 per month at 10 percent to $3,938.58 per month at 100 percent for a veteran with no dependents. All of it is tax-free.

These are the rates effective December 1, 2025, which is what is paid through 2026. Rates change each December with the annual cost-of-living adjustment.

The 2026 monthly rates, veteran alone

| Rating | Monthly |

|---|---|

| 10% | $180.03 |

| 20% | $355.94 |

| 30% | $552.02 |

| 40% | $795.32 |

| 50% | $1,132.90 |

| 60% | $1,435.05 |

| 70% | $1,808.79 |

| 80% | $2,102.11 |

| 90% | $2,362.29 |

| 100% | $3,938.58 |

The 90 to 100 jump is not like the others

Every step up the schedule adds money, but the last one is in a different category. Going from 90 to 100 percent adds roughly $1,576 per month, which is larger than any other single step and larger than the entire payment at 50 percent.

That gap is worth understanding, because a rating sitting at 90 percent is one meaningful increase away from a very different number.

Why the percentages do not add up

A veteran with a 50 percent and a 30 percent rating does not have 80 percent. The VA combines ratings using a table in 38 CFR 4.25 that treats disability as loss of efficiency, applying each condition to what remains rather than adding them. ¹ The result is then rounded to the nearest 10 at the very end, once. ¹

This is why adding conditions produces smaller and smaller gains as the combined rating climbs.

Dependents raise the amount, but only at 30 percent and up

At 10 and 20 percent, the rate is flat regardless of family. ² From 30 percent up, a spouse, children, and dependent parents each add to the monthly payment, and the amounts scale with the rating. A dependent adds more at 100 percent than at 30 percent.

Ratings above 100 percent

The schedule stops at 100, but compensation does not. Special Monthly Compensation under 38 CFR 3.350 pays above the 100 percent rate for specific circumstances, including loss of use of an organ or extremity and the need for regular aid and attendance. ³

And TDIU pays at the 100 percent rate for veterans whose service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment, even when the combined rating is lower. ⁴

One more thing about the money

VA disability compensation is not taxable income at the federal or state level, and it is not counted as income for most means-tested purposes. A 100 percent rating at $3,938.58 per month is roughly $47,000 a year tax-free, which compares to a considerably higher gross salary.