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Va Rater Jobs in Halethorpe, MD (NOW HIRING)

Electrician

Middle River, MD

$23.50 - $32.25/hr

Identify upsell opportunities and improve close rates Business & Financial Leadership * Own P&L ... VA, PA, DE preferred or obtainable) * Valid driver's license * Generac/Kohler certification ...

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Va Rater information

What is a VA rater?

A VA Rater, also known as a Veterans Affairs Rating Veterans Service Representative (RVSR), is a federal employee who evaluates disability claims submitted by veterans. Their primary responsibility is to review evidence, medical records, and supporting documentation to determine the extent of a veteran's service-connected disabilities and assign a disability rating. This rating affects the benefits and compensation a veteran receives. VA Raters must have a thorough understanding of laws and regulations governing veterans’ benefits and work closely with other VA staff to ensure claims are processed accurately and efficiently.

How much do VA raters make?

VA Raters, who evaluate disability claims for the Department of Veterans Affairs, typically earn between $40,000 and $60,000 annually, depending on experience and location. They often work full-time and may require knowledge of medical or claims processing systems.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a VA rater?

To thrive as a VA Rater, you need a solid understanding of medical terminology, disability law, and Veterans Affairs regulations, typically supported by relevant experience or education. Familiarity with VA claims processing systems, rating calculators, and electronic document management tools is essential. Attention to detail, analytical thinking, and strong written communication skills are critical soft skills for accurately evaluating complex disability cases. These competencies ensure fair, timely, and legally compliant decisions that directly impact veterans' access to benefits.

How do you become a VA rater?

To become a VA rater, applicants typically need a background in healthcare, psychology, or related fields, along with strong analytical skills. The process involves applying through the VA's employment portal, passing a written exam, and completing training specific to disability rating assessments. Prior experience in medical or claims review work can be advantageous.

Can VA raters work from home?

VA raters typically perform their evaluations remotely, using digital tools and telework setups. Many VA rater positions are designed to be work-from-home roles, requiring strong communication skills and familiarity with medical records and documentation. However, some assessments or training may require in-office presence depending on the specific role or agency policies.

What challenges does a VA rater face when evaluating medical evidence for disability claims?

One of the main challenges VA Raters encounter is accurately interpreting complex medical records and connecting them to veterans' claimed disabilities. This often requires attention to detail, critical thinking, and a thorough understanding of VA regulations and rating criteria. Additionally, tight deadlines and high caseloads can make it challenging to balance speed with accuracy. Collaboration with medical experts and other team members is common to ensure fair and consistent decisions are made.

What is the difference between Va Rater vs Appraiser?

AspectVa Rater

Va Raters and Appraisers both evaluate property values, often requiring similar certifications and working in real estate or mortgage industries. However, Va Raters typically focus on assessing properties for VA loan eligibility, while Appraisers provide comprehensive property valuations for various purposes, including sales and refinancing.

In summary, Va Raters specialize in VA-specific property assessments, whereas Appraisers offer broader valuation services across multiple sectors.

Infographic showing various Va Rater job openings in Halethorpe, MD as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, and 7% Part Time. Highlights an 80% In-person, and 20% Remote job distribution.

Dental Assistant

Veterans Health Administration

Baltimore, MD • On-site, Remote

$38K - $70K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 29 days ago


Veterans Health Administration rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 1,004 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

69th of 887 rated healthcare providers


Job description

Summary
The dental assistant assists the dentist in various aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Major Duties May Include but are not limited to:
  • Assisting dentists during a wide range of clinical procedures to ensure optimal patient care and procedural efficiency.
  • Performing dental radiographic procedures in accordance with safety and diagnostic standards.
  • Providing patients with pre- and post-procedure instructions, oral hygiene guidance, and general dental health education.
  • Adhering to strict infection prevention protocols, including sterilization of instruments and disinfection of treatment areas.
  • Ensuring dental equipment is properly maintained, calibrated, and in good working order.
  • Monitoring and restocking clinical supplies to maintain readiness and support uninterrupted patient care.
  • Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
  • Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably
  • Exposes and processes basic dental radiographs under direct supervision
  • Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position)
  • Employee will display a cooperative attitude and will effectively work together to implement the organization's mission and goals.
  • Incumbent possesses or develops an understanding of the needs of a variety of patients. Sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, developmental requirements, disabilities, and culturally related factors is consistently achieved.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday / 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 24195-F / 24196-F / 24197-F / 26625-F
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
  • United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
  • Experience and Education:

  1. Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR
  2. Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). OR
  3. Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

  • Certification. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.
  • Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence: Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR, Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry. OR, Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD).

  1. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This [will result in removal from the GS-681 series and] may result in termination of employment.
  2. Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
  3. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certifi- cation is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions above the full performance level.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including [ ] certification [(for positions above the full performance level)] that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  1. Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or [changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees MUST meet the certificationion requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
  2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  3. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
  4. If an employee who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:
Dental Assistant GS-03 (Entry Level)
  • Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

Dental Assistant GS-04
  • Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR 2 years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  1. Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling.
  2. Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies.
  3. Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval
  4. Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment.
  5. Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.

Dental Assistant GS-05
  • Experience or Education: In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above, applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience equivalent to at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. OR
  • Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  1. Knowledge of anatomy and [ability to evaluate diagnostic quality.
  2. Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement.
  3. Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures.
  4. Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA.
  5. Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol.

Dental Assistant GS-06 (Full Performance Level)
  • Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  1. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.
  2. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.
  3. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.
  4. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.
  5. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.
  6. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.
  7. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.
  8. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures.

Preferred Experience: 3 years of Dental experience. Experience working with dental residents and medically complex patients.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may

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About Veterans Health Administration

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, serving millions of Veterans each year. Located in Phoenix, AZ, and many other parts of the US, the VHA operates under the Department of Veteran Affairs, as suggested by their official website va.gov. The VHA is dedicated to providing the highest level of comprehensive care to its veterans. The organization offers a broad spectrum of medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care, including mental health services, research, and pharmacy benefits.

Industry

Health care and social assistance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Phoenix, AZ, US