The Games Leveling System

I'm not sure what you mean by level but I'l just explain the game in general.

|Progression|
The system works on leveling contacts. You must pledge to one to gain standing with them. To do this, Press J, go to progression, click on the drop down bar and select which faction. Then double click the contact you want to level and click "Pledge to contact. The first 3 contacts all have 5 levels. The 2 boss contacts have 15 levels. Any contact in between those have 10 levels.

A guide on who unlocks what can be found Here
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|Threat|
Threat is based on how well you perform in missions along with if you win or lose.
There are 10 threat levels per color ranging from bronze, silver, and gold to make a total of 30.
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|Standing|
Standing is gained from leveling roles (Pointman, Sharpshooter, Rifleman, etc.) and progressing contacts.
It basically tells you how far you are in the game