Rating guide · Mental health
PTSD Ratings: How the VA Measures It
Illinois Guard and Reserve members, active-duty soldiers who passed through Rock Island Arsenal, and veterans of every era carry memories they rarely share. The VA rates PTSD by how much it disrupts work and relationships, and that disruption can be documented.
- Levels in everyday terms
- 2026 pay by level
- Backing up the stressor
- Exam preparation
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What Each Level Looks Like Day to Day
- 10%: mild symptoms that flare mostly during stressful stretches, or that medication controls.
- 30%: you function, but poor sleep, worry, wariness of others or an occasional panic attack now and then disrupt your work.
- 50%: your reliability has slipped. Panic hits more than once a week, memory and drive are weaker, and keeping relationships going takes real effort.
- 70%: problems reach into nearly everything: job, family, thinking and mood, often with near-continuous depression, outbursts of anger or pulling away from people.
- 100%: symptoms are severe enough that you can’t work and can’t sustain a social life.
The regulation’s exact language appears in the table below. Raters look at frequency, severity and duration, and symptoms that aren’t on the list still count toward the rating.
PTSD Rating Criteria and Monthly Pay
Backing Up the Event Behind the Diagnosis
A PTSD claim needs three things: a diagnosis, a medical opinion tying it to service, and support for the stressor. What counts as support depends on the kind of event:
- Combat: if you engaged the enemy, your own statement can be enough when it fits the circumstances of your service.
- Fear of hostile military or terrorist activity: rocket and mortar attacks, roadside bomb threats and convoy duty qualify when a VA or VA-contracted psychiatrist or psychologist confirms the event is adequate to support the diagnosis.
- Personal assault, including MST: special evidence rules apply. Our MST claims guide explains them.
- Accidents, training deaths and other stateside events: unit records, incident reports and buddy statements can corroborate what happened.
Getting Ready for the PTSD Exam
Illinois veterans may be examined at a VA facility, at a VA-contracted examiner’s office, or over telehealth. Whichever it is, bring:
- A one-page list of your symptoms and how often each one happens
- Real examples: jobs you quit or lost, blowups at home, avoiding stores or crowds, problems behind the wheel
- A written statement from a spouse, family member or someone you served with
If you want counseling while the claim is pending, the Quad Cities Vet Center in East Moline offers readjustment counseling for combat veterans and their families, separate from the claims process. PTSD can also lead to or worsen other conditions, such as sleep apnea, migraines and GERD, which may earn their own ratings.
PTSD VA Rating: Common Questions
How much is a 100% PTSD rating worth in 2026?
$3,938.58 per month for a veteran with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025. A spouse or children increase that amount.
Will working full time keep me from a 70% rating?
No. Schedular ratings aren’t cut because you have a job. Only TDIU depends on being unable to hold substantially gainful employment.
I have PTSD and depression. Do I get two ratings?
No. VA gives a single rating that covers all of your mental health diagnoses together.
I served stateside the whole time. Can I still claim PTSD?
Yes. Events like training accidents or assaults can support service connection when the stressor is corroborated.
Illinois Veterans: Get the Rating You Earned
Start with a free, no-obligation case review. It takes about a minute.