Good thread Blue, especially as I'm about to be moving and looking for work, too. I'm an expert job hunter. I'm always hunting for jobs, and sometimes I even get one.
SLC is usually only a 10% drop from major metros like New York and LA, so if you made 35K before, ask for 35-38K, and keep 33K as your dead minimum.
I'm finding that Los Angeles/OC pay rates are actually slightly lower than in New Jersey, which is lower than NYC, so instead of asking for 45-50K, I'm asking for 38-43K in LA ( I'm an Executive Administrator/Coordinator). I really don't want to take less than 40K, but I'll take what I can get.
Do you utilize recruiters? I have had a great deal of luck working with recruiters. Often, the recruiter's office also does temp work, which presents temp-to-hire opportunities as well as short term temp work to get a little money in your pocket in the meantime.
One of the great mysteries of finding work for me is networking. I also live in mortal fear of recommendations, as I don't have enough!