> The first two steps took about 6 months and the final step about a year.

That's quite lengthy (by the book): the LCA usually has a two-week turnaround. A nice perk is that it's also 'free' for the employer (there is no filing fee), although many have immigration lawyers on retainer to handle supporting paperwork and shepherd you through the process.

Excluding the interview process at the employer, LCA -> visa interview -> issued E3 for me was about ~3 weeks.