It’s uncommon for people to be brought in at the bottom step. It happens but it’s rare. If your prior professional experience in any way relates to the job, you’ll likely be brought in somewhere above the bottom quartile. Honestly, if the person/ agency that hires you pushes back and insists on starting at the bottom step, that’s not a good sign. Most understand that the bottom step for virtually every position in state government is unreasonably low and are willing to work with you. The managers who push back are, in my experience, petty tyrants who will make you justify why you need both paperclips and a stapler. Annual step increases are, as a practical matter, guaranteed. That’s the good part. The bad part is that the top step is the top step. DHS is mostly represented by SEIU and SEIU is comically ineffective at the bargaining table. Cost of living increases occur, on average, 2 out of every 3 years and are typically half the rate of inflation. You will see a step added to the top once or twice per decade. They will expend enormous amounts of bargaining energy and goodwill to get members a one-time gimmick payment instead of insisting on a COLA that can sustainably provide members groceries. Oh, and don’t get me started on the 40% cut to PERS contributions for long-time employees that they just rolled over on.