Welp, non-competes are illegal in some states, and won't hold up in court in others, so it might be worth looking in to. I have a non compete as well, but I don't think the owners have the money or time to follow through with it. It doesn't *really* scare me- I could find away around it if I wanted to do so.
You need to come up with a number that is a minimum for you. Mine was $70k for no reason in particular other than I'M EFFING WORTH IT.
**special snowflake syndrome abound** But, seriously, figure out a budget that allows you to live comfortably, and develop a minimum from there, within reason.
Most people expect you to counter with a salary of 3-7% above what was offered. Honestly,
www.reddit.com/r/jobs was a huge help to me when it came to negotiating contracts.