What's the typical wait time to be a Platoon Leader after arriving to your unit?

Sir, one year on the OML for an Engineer Platoon isn't that uncommon. Use your staff time as means to build your network of useful contacts, start co-opting the maintenance warrants and key S staffers now, it will pay you dividends in the future.....Or sit and pull at your belly button lint and bemoan your servitude in staff purgatory.
At least you're an Engineer, you could be a logistician or some other really boring job where you are doomed to perpetual administrative hell.

Sir.this might seem disrespectful and I'm sorry.... but wait your time out ...there's other things you could be concentrating on... making your connections... talking with other platoon ldrs and learning the tools of the trade before you get there... start learning things about supply... be able to take charge when given the chance... I know your chopping at the bit... but use this as a opportunity.... hmm also learn things like writing cores.... ucmj.... get all your tools together now in this wait... best of luck

BLUF - do the job you have the best you can and the PL opportunity will come sooner. There is no other choice. To not do your best where you are now is being negligent to your Soldiers, yourself and the Army. Shine in what you are given now and green tab opportunities will be more often and come sooner. Stagnate and whine and you'll find yourself on the way to post staff and non-selection.

Typical wait time is not typical.

Example 1 -- As a PL back in 1991 - I went into a PLT after 2 months and stayed a PL for 33 months with 43rd CEC/3rd ACR - only one of us got to be XO and the 43rd CEC was the only Engineer Company in the 3rd ACR and also on a;ll of Fort Bliss, TX.

Example 2 -- As a CPT-Cdr - the wait time for a PL was 3 months, BUT, LTs were rotating every 6 months and that was DISASTER because the troops spent more time on sub-HR inventories than anything else and the PLs learned very little in 6 months in the 565th EN BN / 130th EN Bde in the late 1990's.

Example 3 -- As a LTC-Cdr for the 368th EN Bn (USAR) -- We had open PL positions and that was still after some being filled by cadets when we could get them.

So you see it's all unit, time and year group population dependent.

Lastly - I strongly urge you NOT to scheme, ever. Be up front with your desires to your rater and senior rater, work your ass off as nothing less is acceptable. And, as a staff officer, NEVER report bad news about a line unit until AFTER your told that line unit what you are about to report. NO commander wants a staff guy that constantly makes his life miserable and will tell his commander he does not want some cruddy nit picking staff weenie as his next PL.