Here is a recent (08/15) LinkedIn job description...I am using this to argue why you should get a master degree in applied math. Ask me in person for my arguments.

Job description

We are a core algorithm/data R&D team of xxx Group, based in Seattle. Our mission is to transform xxx from an IT company to a data technology one. xxx has long-term commitment and investment in big data, which will enable breakthrough innovations in data technologies and generation of new business values. We develop data technologies based on machine learning to solve challenging and meaningful real-world problems and generate large impact on billions of people. Main Responsibilities:
* Explore large scale data, research and develop predictive models;
* Numerical optimization algorithms design and implementation;
* Work with business units to integrate algorithms into products.

Desired Skills and Experience

* Must have a solid background in one or more following fields: - machine learning, large scale data analyses, natural language processing, statistics, numerical optimization and mechanism design;
* Problem solving skill: formulating and solving real-world problems;
* Experience with C++, Java, SQL or Python;
* At least one of the following experience: - Large scale data ETL and distributed computation; - NLP parsing, name-entity extraction, semantic comprehension. - Dialogue management - Human computer interaction systems.
* Self-driven, result-oriented, innovative and collaborative;
* Good communication and presentation ability;
* Ph.D or Master in CS, Mathematics, Statistics，or related fields.