Provided are a thin film magnetic head and a method of manufacturing the same, which can prevent an output decrease without impairment of productivity and other characteristics, while adapting to an increase in a recording density. In the thin film magnetic head, an MR film is sandwiched in between first and second gap films having electrical insulating properties, which are sandwiched in between first and second shield layers. The first shield layer has an inner layer and an outer layer laminated in order from the MR film, and the second shield layer has an inner layer and an outer layer laminated in order from the MR film. The respective inner layers of the first and second shield layers have hardness higher than that of the respective outer layers thereof so as to prevent the first and second shield layers from deforming.