Final answer:
Under the Pay Equity Act, 'responsibility' is a compensable factor, whereas race and gender cannot legally be taken into account for wage differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Pay Equity Act, a compensable factor that can be legally considered in determining wages is responsibility. Race, gender, and pay grade themselves are not compensable factors; in fact, they are criteria that cannot legally influence pay differences unless they directly relate to the job requirements and responsibilities. Laws mandate equal pay for equal work and taking factors like responsibility into consideration can help ensure that pay equity is achieved without discrimination based on race, gender, or other non-job-related characteristics.