Your salary is your gross pay — the number before anything comes out. What actually lands in your account is take-home (net) pay, after federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and any benefits like health insurance or retirement contributions. A $60,000 salary doesn't deposit as $60,000; it's noticeably less, and understanding why keeps the first paycheck from being a shock.
The usual deductions: federal income tax, state income tax (in most states), Social Security and Medicare (payroll taxes), and any pre-tax items you signed up for — health insurance premiums and retirement contributions like a 401(k). Some of these are taxes; some are you paying your future self.
Gross pay is the headline salary. Net pay — take-home — is what's left after all deductions. Budgeting off your gross salary is a common early mistake; you can only spend the net. Always plan around what actually arrives.
No. Taxes fund services and your future benefits, and retirement contributions are money moving to your own future self (often with an employer match on top). Pre-tax benefits can even lower your taxable income. Not every deduction is gone — some is just relocated.