A magnetic field sensor, comprising: a sensor bridge, said sensor bridge including a first sensor leg and a second sensor leg; a first magnetoresistive sense element formed in said first sensor leg and located in a plane of said magnetic field sensor (70, 72, 74, 76), said first magnetoresistive sense element having a first pinned layer and a first sense layer; a second magnetoresistive sense element formed in said second sensor leg and located in said plane of said magnetic field sensor (70, 72, 74, 76), said second magnetoresistive sense element having a second pinned layer and a second sense layer, said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174) being sensitive to an external magnetic field (38, 82, 40) along a sensing direction, wherein each of said first and second pinned layers has a reference magnetization oriented substantially parallel to said plane, and each of said first and second sense layers (196, 198) has a sense magnetization; a first permanent magnet layer spaced apart from said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174), wherein in the absence of said external magnetic field (38, 82, 40), said first permanent magnet layer magnetically biases said sense magnetization in an out-of-plane orientation relative to said plane, said sense magnetization of said first sense layer being oriented in a first direction and said sense magnetization of said second sense layer being oriented in second direction that differs from said first direction; and a second permanent magnet layer vertically displaced away from said first permanent magnet layer, wherein said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174) are interposed between said first and second permanent magnet layers (206, 208), and said first and second permanent magnet layers (206, 208) function cooperatively to magnetically bias said sense magnetization of said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174) in said out-of-plane orientation relative to said plane, characterized in that said first and second permanent magnet layers (206, 208) have a single magnetic orientation substantially perpendicular to said plane. a sensor bridge, said sensor bridge including a first sensor leg and a second sensor leg; a first magnetoresistive sense element formed in said first sensor leg and located in a plane of said magnetic field sensor (70, 72, 74, 76), said first magnetoresistive sense element having a first pinned layer and a first sense layer; a second magnetoresistive sense element formed in said second sensor leg and located in said plane of said magnetic field sensor (70, 72, 74, 76), said second magnetoresistive sense element having a second pinned layer and a second sense layer, said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174) being sensitive to an external magnetic field (38, 82, 40) along a sensing direction, wherein each of said first and second pinned layers has a reference magnetization oriented substantially parallel to said plane, and each of said first and second sense layers (196, 198) has a sense magnetization; a first permanent magnet layer spaced apart from said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174), wherein in the absence of said external magnetic field (38, 82, 40), said first permanent magnet layer magnetically biases said sense magnetization in an out-of-plane orientation relative to said plane, said sense magnetization of said first sense layer being oriented in a first direction and said sense magnetization of said second sense layer being oriented in second direction that differs from said first direction; and a second permanent magnet layer vertically displaced away from said first permanent magnet layer, wherein said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174) are interposed between said first and second permanent magnet layers (206, 208), and said first and second permanent magnet layers (206, 208) function cooperatively to magnetically bias said sense magnetization of said first and second magnetoresistive sense elements (172, 174) in said out-of-plane orientation relative to said plane, characterized in that said first and second permanent magnet layers (206, 208) have a single magnetic orientation substantially perpendicular to said plane.