Conditions / Neurological
38 CFR 4.124a, diagnostic code 8515 · checked 2026-10-20
VA rating for Carpal tunnel (median nerve)
VA rates Carpal tunnel (median nerve) under diagnostic code 8515 (Paralysis of the median nerve) at 4 levels from 10% to 70%. The lowest paid level, 10%, is worth $180.42 a month and the highest, 70%, $1,808.45 to a veteran alone at the rates effective December 1, 2025.
- 1Diagnostic code DC 8515
- 2Highest level 70% · $1,808.45
- 3Lowest paid level 10% · $180.42
Rating criteria for DC 8515
| Rating | What the schedule requires |
|---|---|
| 70% minor side 60% | Complete paralysis: the hand inclined to the ulnar side, the index and middle fingers more extended than normally, considerable atrophy of the thenar eminence (the ape hand), inability to make a fist, and other listed signs. |
| 50% minor side 40% | Incomplete paralysis, severe. |
| 30% minor side 20% | Incomplete paralysis, moderate. |
| 10% | Incomplete paralysis, mild. |
Summarized from eCFR, 38 CFR 4.124a Schedule of ratings, neurological conditions and convulsive disorders, diagnostic code 8515, checked 2026-10-20. The regulation's own wording governs.
Notes in the schedule
- When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should be for the mild, or at most the moderate, degree.
- Major means the dominant hand; minor the other hand.
What each level pays
| Level | Alone | With spouse | With tinnitus 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | 73 → 70% |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | 55 → 60% |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | 37 → 40% |
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 | 19 → 20% |
3 of the 4 compensable levels are 30% or higher, where dependents raise the payment; below that the rate is flat. The spread from the lowest paid level to the highest is $1,628.03 a month. The last column shows the combined rating if this condition is joined by a 10% tinnitus rating.
Both sides: the bilateral factor
Carpal tunnel (median nerve) affects an arm or hand, so when both sides are rated, 38 CFR 4.26 applies. Two ratings of 10% combine to 19; the bilateral factor adds 10% of that, giving 21, rated 20%. With 70% on one side and 10% on the other, the paired value is 80, rated 80%. Other ratings on paired limbs join the same bilateral group; the bilateral factor guide shows how.
How this rating fits a claim
The top level, 70%, is at or above the 60% that 38 CFR 4.16(a) sets for a single disability to qualify for consideration of a total rating based on unemployability. A rating under DC 8515 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
- Migraines (DC 8100)
- Sciatic nerve (radiculopathy) (DC 8520)
- Common peroneal nerve (foot drop) (DC 8521)
- Upper radicular group (C5-C6 nerves) (DC 8510)
- Epilepsy (seizures) (DC 8910)
Pay at the top level: 70% VA pay. At the lowest paid 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 4.124a, diagnostic code 8515. Last checked 2026-10-20. Only a VA rating decision sets a rating or a payment. See the methodology.