A magnetic field sensor comprising: a sensor bridge (102, 198, 282) having a first leg (104, 200, 284) and a second leg (106, 202, 286) for sensing an external magnetic field along a sensing direction (96, 194, 278); a first magnetoresistive sense element (112, 208, 292) formed in said first leg (104, 200, 284) and located in a plane of said magnetic field sensor, said first magnetoresistive sense element (112, 208, 292) including a first pinned layer (136, 232, 318) and a first sense layer (138, 234, 320); a second magnetoresistive sense element (114, 210, 294) formed in said second leg (106, 202, 286) and located in said plane of said magnetic field sensor, said second magnetoresistive sense element (114, 210, 294) including a second pinned layer (142, 238, 324) and a second sense layer (144, 240, 326), said first and second pinned layers (112, 208, 292; 142, 238, 324) having a reference magnetization, and each of said first and second sense layers (138, 234, 320; 144, 240, 326) initially being characterized by a first sense magnetization, said first sense magnetization being oriented in a first direction; and a permanent magnet layer (160, 161) proximate said second magnetoresistive sense element (114, 210, 294), wherein in the absence of said external magnetic field, said permanent magnet layer (160, 161) magnetically biases said first sense magnetization of said second sense layer (144, 240, 326) to produce a second sense magnetization of said second sense layer (144, 240, 326), said second sense magnetization being oriented in a second direction that differs from said first direction of said first sense magnetization, characterized in that said first sense layer (138, 234, 320) of said first magnetoresistive sense element (112, 208, 292) retaining said first sense magnetization; said first direction of said first sense magnetization is a first <hkl> direction, wherein h, k, and l are Miller indices, in which "h" and "k" are non-zero, "l" is zero, and <hkl> represents a family of directions; and said second direction of said second sense magnetization is a second <hkl> direction relative to said first <hkl> direction, wherein one of said "h" and "k" of said second <hkl> direction is a negative value of a corresponding one of said "h" and "k" of said first <hkl> direction, and "l" of said second <hkl> direction is zero. a sensor bridge (102, 198, 282) having a first leg (104, 200, 284) and a second leg (106, 202, 286) for sensing an external magnetic field along a sensing direction (96, 194, 278); a first magnetoresistive sense element (112, 208, 292) formed in said first leg (104, 200, 284) and located in a plane of said magnetic field sensor, said first magnetoresistive sense element (112, 208, 292) including a first pinned layer (136, 232, 318) and a first sense layer (138, 234, 320); a second magnetoresistive sense element (114, 210, 294) formed in said second leg (106, 202, 286) and located in said plane of said magnetic field sensor, said second magnetoresistive sense element (114, 210, 294) including a second pinned layer (142, 238, 324) and a second sense layer (144, 240, 326), said first and second pinned layers (112, 208, 292; 142, 238, 324) having a reference magnetization, and each of said first and second sense layers (138, 234, 320; 144, 240, 326) initially being characterized by a first sense magnetization, said first sense magnetization being oriented in a first direction; and a permanent magnet layer (160, 161) proximate said second magnetoresistive sense element (114, 210, 294), wherein in the absence of said external magnetic field, said permanent magnet layer (160, 161) magnetically biases said first sense magnetization of said second sense layer (144, 240, 326) to produce a second sense magnetization of said second sense layer (144, 240, 326), said second sense magnetization being oriented in a second direction that differs from said first direction of said first sense magnetization, characterized in that said first sense layer (138, 234, 320) of said first magnetoresistive sense element (112, 208, 292) retaining said first sense magnetization; said first direction of said first sense magnetization is a first <hkl> direction, wherein h, k, and l are Miller indices, in which "h" and "k" are non-zero, "l" is zero, and <hkl> represents a family of directions; and said second direction of said second sense magnetization is a second <hkl> direction relative to said first <hkl> direction, wherein one of said "h" and "k" of said second <hkl> direction is a negative value of a corresponding one of said "h" and "k" of said first <hkl> direction, and "l" of said second <hkl> direction is zero.