Depends on where you're living I suppose. In Chicago, a base of $100k/yr for a systems architect seems fair. In the Bay area and other areas that are more expensive, it will probably be more expensive, but I'm not as familiar with those markets. It certainly depends on the complexity of your product too.

ha. I was actually thinking of people I know in Chicago who charge huge amounts to admin trading systems.

Ah, yes. Did my run in trading. Pay (and experience) is great if you have the stomach for it. I found it soul-sucking and ultimately left. You are correct though, trading is extremely lucrative, not even getting into the other benefits.