I have heard that salaries are indeed lower here, but I don't know numbers--sorry. Keep in mind that the cost of living is also considerably lower here than in most other metropolitan areas.
Not sure what you mean by "poor location." Have you been to New Mexico? It's absolutely gorgeous, with weather that can't be beat. If you like to be outdoors, it's hard to find a better place that permits year-round hiking, etc., in fantastic mountains. It has four seasons, too, unlike southern California, for example. No oppressive humidity (though the summers do get HOT.) Culturally, the state is very rich as well. And you don't have nearly the congestion that you do in many other parts of the country (yet.) This is not to say that living in NM doesn't have its drawbacks. Of course it does. But as my husband and I are scouting around for residency locations, with weather, cost of living, and cultural diversity being important criteria to us, we keep on coming back to a growing appreciation of what is in our own backyard, so to speak.