Abstarct: The present study aimed to examine the effect of occupational prestige on the job embeddedness of physical education teachers in Iraq, with job autonomy as a mediating variable. The research employed a descxriptive-correlational design, applied in nature, cross-sectional in terms of timing, and conducted in the field using three questionnaires: the 3-item Job Prestige Questionnaire by Hackman and Oldham (1979), the 5-item Job Embeddedness Questionnaire by Karatip and Vatankhah (2014), and the 3-item Job Autonomy Questionnaire by Lopez and Fass (2016). The statistical population included all physical education teachers in Iraq, of whom 168 were selected as the research sample using Klein’s (2000) sample size determination method and convenience sampling. The content validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by sport management professors, and their reliability was verified with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients above 0.70. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 3 and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that job prestige has a direct, positive, and significant effect on job embeddedness (β = 0.508, t = 6.270). Additionally, job prestige has a direct and positive effect on job autonomy (β = 0.382, t = 4.181). Examination of the effect of job autonomy indicated that it does not have a significant direct impact on job embeddedness (β = 0.186, t = 1.601). Finally, the results revealed that the indirect effect of job prestige on job embeddedness through job autonomy is positive but non-significant (indirect β = 0.071, t = 1.420). baxsed on these findings, it can be concluded that job prestige is the most influential factor affecting both job embeddedness and job autonomy among physical education teachers. Increasing job prestige strengthens teachers’ commitment, sense of belonging, autonomy, and decision-making authority, enhancing their psychological attachment to their work and organization. In contrast, job autonomy alone does not significantly affect job embeddedness, and its mediating role is weak and non-significant, suggesting that improving job embeddedness requires enhancing job prestige along with organizational support and complementary resources. Overall, a combination of psychological and organizational factors is crucial for improving teachers’ commitment, retention, and motivation.