Reply #9: I've been told several times that I'm "overqualified" - a code word for "beyond salary cap"

[HopeHoops]

Every time that's happened, it was before I was even asked about the salary I expected. "Too much experience" can be a disadvantage. The only reason an employer asks what salary you expect is because there's a chance you will low-ball it to get the job and they can save money. I've hired a lot of people and the bean-counters always set the range for the position. You have to pull teeth to get it increased for a candidate you really want. You can scan a resume (by eye, not a scanner) and have a pretty good idea what the expected salary for a candidate will be.