My most recent job transition was from a programming position in a large metropolitan area to one in a very rural area. I moved for lifestyle reasons and took a

My most recent job transition was from a programming position in a large metropolitan area to one in a very rural area. I moved for lifestyle reasons and took an ~60% pay cut -- so the best answer I have to you is "it depends". If you want to maintain something close to your existing salary, you must at least look for companies or locations that actually pay that kind of salary to begin with. This is probably quite obvious advice, but I think we (as developers) sometimes lose sight of the fact that there is not "one true salary range" for any particular set of skills.