What two primary components determine compensation within the GS pay structure?
Answer
A 'grade' (level of responsibility) and a 'step' (level of experience)
The GS system standardizes pay based on the employee's assigned grade, which reflects responsibility, and their step, which reflects their experience within that grade.

Related Questions
Under which standardized system do the majority of NASA employees operate their pay structure?What two primary components determine compensation within the GS pay structure?How does the overall average compensation for NASA employees generally compare to the peak compensation seen in the most aggressive private space ventures?What GS pay grade range do NASA astronaut salaries explicitly adhere to?What is the approximate starting annual salary range for a newly selected NASA astronaut at the GS-12 level?For an engineer with ten years of experience, how much higher might their salary at a private firm potentially be compared to their federal counterpart at NASA?What key long-term financial security elements does the NASA structure provide that contrasts with higher starting salaries in the private sector?What is a significant non-monetary reward that attracts many bright minds to a career at NASA?What factor related to the duty station can alter the final take-home salary for a NASA employee, even if they hold the exact same GS grade as another employee?For many professionals on standard career tracks at NASA, approximately how long might it take to reliably cross the $100,000 income threshold?