90% VA disability pay in 2026
A 90% rating pays $2,362.30 per month to a veteran with no dependents, which is $28,347.60 per year, tax free. The amount rises with each dependent the VA has on file: $2,559.30 with a spouse, $2,494.30 with one child and no spouse, and $2,704.30 with a spouse and one child. The rates below took effect 2025-12-01 after a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment and stay in force until the next COLA on December 1.
90% pay chart by dependents
Each row is the VA's published amount for that household. A spouse and the first child are built into the base row; parents, additional children, and Aid and Attendance are added on top.
| Household | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran alone | $2,362.30 | $28,347.60 |
| With spouse | $2,559.30 | $30,711.60 |
| With spouse and one child | $2,704.30 | $32,451.60 |
| With one child, no spouse | $2,494.30 | $29,931.60 |
| With one parent | $2,520.30 | $30,243.60 |
| With two parents | $2,678.30 | $32,139.60 |
| With spouse and one parent | $2,717.30 | $32,607.60 |
| With spouse and two parents | $2,875.30 | $34,503.60 |
| With spouse, one child, and one parent | $2,862.30 | $34,347.60 |
| With spouse, two children under 18 | $2,802.30 | $33,627.60 |
| With spouse and one child in school (18 to 23) | $2,704.30 | $32,451.60 |
| With spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | $2,740.30 | $32,883.60 |
Added amounts at 90%
| Addition | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Each additional child under 18 (after the first) | $98.00 |
| Each additional child aged 18 to 23 in school | $317.00 |
| Each dependent parent | $158.00 |
| Spouse receiving Aid and Attendance | $181.00 |
For example, a 90% veteran with a spouse, two children under 18, and one dependent parent starts from the "with spouse and one child" row ($2,704.30), adds one more child ($98.00) and one parent ($158.00), for $2,960.30 a month. Enter your own household in the calculator above to see the lines.
Which ratings combine to 90%
The VA combines ratings rather than adding them (combined = a + b x (100 - a) / 100, then rounded to the nearest 10). A combined value from 85 to 94 is paid at 90%. Two-rating combinations that land there include 70 + 50 (85), 70 + 60 (88), 70 + 70 (91), 80 + 30 (86), 80 + 40 (88), 80 + 60 (92), 80 + 70 (94), 90 + 10 (91), 90 + 20 (92), 90 + 30 (93), along with a single 90% rating.
Three-rating examples: 50 + 50 + 40 = 85, 50 + 50 + 50 = 88, 60 + 40 + 40 = 86, 60 + 50 + 30 = 86, 60 + 50 + 40 = 88, 60 + 60 + 10 = 86, 60 + 60 + 20 = 87, 60 + 60 + 30 = 89. Ratings for both arms, both legs, or paired muscles get a 10% bilateral factor first, which can lift a combined value of 84 or 83 into the 90% band.
What the next step is worth
Moving from 90% to 100% raises the base amount from $2,362.30 to $3,938.58, a difference of $1,576.28 a month or $18,915.36 a year; the 90 to 100 step is the largest in the schedule. A combined value of 95 rounds up, so a new secondary condition rated 10% or 20% is sometimes enough, while 80% pays $2,102.15.
Back pay at 90%
If your claim was granted at 90% with an effective date months before the decision, the VA owes the monthly rate for each month in between. Twelve months at the veteran-alone rate is $28,347.60, and $30,711.60 with a spouse. Enter the effective and decision dates in the calculator to see the estimate; the VA pays from the first of the following month and uses each year's rate for the months it covers.
Other ratings
10% VA disability pay, 20% VA disability pay, 30% VA disability pay, 40% VA disability pay, 50% VA disability pay, 60% VA disability pay, 70% VA disability pay, 80% VA disability pay, 100% VA disability pay. To combine several ratings and add the bilateral factor, use the VA disability calculator.
Estimate built from the 2026 rate tables (verified against va.gov on 2026-09-14) and 38 CFR 4.25 and 4.26. Special Monthly Compensation, TDIU, and offsets are not included. Your VA decision letter controls.