My current salary is hurting my job hunt
I used to travel for work and when I wanted to move to the client side, I found the same challenges. I would address this in your cover letter as to why you are looking to change. When they do call you, re-iterate your reasons for looking and that it is a lifestyle choice. Eventually, one of the employers will realize that candidates with this experience in your area do not come open all the time.
First, I think you need a very well written cover letter that accurately explains, much as you did here, what your situation is and why you're interested in working for less, Second, I would be pro-active in terms of subsequent interviews and take it upon myself to bring up the subject of salary and travel, making it as abundantly clear as possible why I would take less salary. In other words, don't wait for the prospective employer to bring up the salary issue, jump on it right away and make it crystal clear why you will happily take less and hang around and be happy with less. Make sense?
Paul W. Barada
The Negotiation Expert
There are two issues here... being "over paid" and "over qualified". Sometimes they run together but I am not sure in your case.
If you are overqualified, that will be harder to overcome. If the jobs that you qualify for only come with 80-90% travel, you can use that reason for looking for a "lower" level position.
The same applies to the over paid part but I think it is much easier to address that than it is the over qualified part. If you don't have to address a salary requirement or salary history in your cover letter, don't bring up the pay difference until you are in front of the interviewer and only if they ask. Or if you have to include a salary history or requirement, address it something like this:
"I realize that my current salary is higher than normal because of the amount of travel involved. I fully understand that my current salary requirement is more in line with a position not having that travel component."
I agree with Chet. The thing that leaped out at me was "overqualified". You need to look for positions that are closer to your level, but local and without the travel. If that is just impossible then you're going to have to really go in swinging in your cover letter on that point, as well as the salary point the way Paul said.
So, something about how you're looking to improve your work/life balance by moving out a full-time travel position and into something based locally. How you'll relish the challenge of getting to know a new (product line, company, service, whatever) and are looking for a long-term relationship with them... stuff like that but worded better.
Tess