An integrated current sensor comprising a Z axis gradiometer and a lead frame primary coil, wherein the Z-axis gradiometer is a magnetoresistive Z-axis gradient sensor, comprising a substrate, with two elongated soft magnetic flux concentrators placed upon the substrate. The soft ferromagnetic flux concentrators are located above or below but displaced from a long-axis centerline equidistant from the magnetoresistive sensor strings, such that the combined magnetoresistive sensing unit detects the magnetic field perpendicular to the long-axis center line, and it is configured as a gradiometer sensor bridge. The lead frame serves as the primary coil, and the Z-axis gradiometer is placed above or below a cross-section of the current carrying portion of the lead frame, such that the current detection direction is parallel to the long-axis centerline. This sensor can detect currents of up to 5 to 50 A, it has low power consumption, small size, and fully integrated.