Hazardous Noise & Acoustic Trauma
How the VA evaluates noise exposure
The VA maintains the Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing — a published table that classifies every military occupational specialty as Low, Moderate, High, or Highly Probable for in-service noise exposure. The list is the starting point for adjudicators when evaluating tinnitus and hearing-loss claims.
When your MOS appears as 'High' or 'Highly Probable,' the VA is instructed to concede in-service hazardous noise exposure without requiring further proof. For 'Moderate' MOS, exposure is conceded if your duties (corroborated by lay statements or unit records) match the noise-exposed activity. For 'Low' MOS, you must affirmatively prove exposure.
High and Highly Probable MOS examples
- Combat arms — infantry (11B), cavalry scout (19D), tanker (19K), field artillery (13B/F).
- Aviation — pilots, crew chiefs, flight engineers, aerial gunners across all branches.
- Aircraft and ground-vehicle maintenance — flight-line crew, mechanics.
- Shipboard rates exposed to engineering spaces or flight decks (BT, MM, ABE, ABF).
- Combat engineers, demolition specialists, and EOD.
- Military police, special forces, and most direct-combat MOSs.
Tinnitus rating basics
Tinnitus is rated under 6260. The maximum is 10% — and that 10% applies whether the tinnitus is unilateral or bilateral. There is no higher schedular rating regardless of severity.
Tinnitus is, however, valuable as a 'gateway' condition: once service-connected, it supports secondary claims for sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and cognitive complaints — all of which can carry significantly higher ratings than tinnitus itself.
Hearing loss rating basics
Hearing loss is rated under 6100 using a numerical Roman-numeral table that combines pure-tone thresholds (in decibels, at 1000/2000/3000/4000 Hz) with speech discrimination scores. The result is a percentage rating from 0% to 100%.
Many veterans with documented in-service hearing loss receive a 0% rating — the loss is service-connected but not severe enough to warrant compensable percentage. A 0% rating is still valuable: it preserves access to VA-issued hearing aids, opens secondary-condition claims, and protects the for future increases as the loss progresses.
Where these claims break down
- ×Filing only for tinnitus when bilateral hearing loss is also clearly documented in service or post-service audiograms.
- ×Not requesting a current C&P audiogram when filing — VA will order one but a private audiogram in the file accelerates the process.
- ×Settling for a 0% hearing-loss rating without filing for an increase as the loss progresses.
- ×Overlooking secondary mental-health and sleep claims that flow from chronic tinnitus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Useful Tools & Topics
Have questions about your specific case?
Every veteran's facts are different. A free initial consultation with a VA-Accredited Claims Agent can tell you whether your matter is a fit for representation — and what the right next step looks like either way.
Disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Oakridge Claims is a private business and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. No guarantees of outcomes are made. Each claim is decided on its individual facts.
Related guides
Tinnitus Secondary to Hearing Loss
How VA evaluates tinnitus claimed as secondary to service-connected hearing loss under DC 6260 — and why the 10% schedular ceiling matters.
Burn Pit Exposure
Open-air burn pit hazards under the PACT Act — covered locations, conditions, and evidence development.
Jet Fuel (JP-8 / JP-5 / JP-4) Exposure
Hydrocarbon exposure for aircraft fuel handlers, flight-line crew, and aircrew across all branches.
Radiation Exposure (Atomic Veterans)
Ionizing radiation presumptives for Atomic Veterans and post-war cleanup participants.